


Paper Luigi: The Dream Cathedral

by Nidoking



Category: Mario Story | Paper Mario, Super Mario Bros.
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-04-12 21:19:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 70,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4495110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nidoking/pseuds/Nidoking
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An urgent letter arrives for Mario, but Luigi is the only one available to answer its call for help. Can Luigi survive in the big city of New Appelle, and can he and his new partners really prevent the unspeakable calamity that Merlon claims only Mario can stop? Well, probably, I don't like bad endings very much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Opening: Letters Arrive, Brothers Depart

**Author's Note:**

> My attempt at an "original" Paper Mario adventure, with fancy new characters and areas and all that fun jazz. No pairings at current, and as I'm attempting to make it as faithful to a "real" Paper Mario game as I can, there shouldn't be anything in it that would be inappropriate for a Mario game, unless I accidentally let something slip through without realizing it, in which case, uh, whoops.

Trimming these dumb notes from the other site, constructive criticism and the like is welcome if you'd wish, since I'm always looking to improve my sub-par writing skills, and if you want to tell me to go surf a butthole or two, that's fine too. Anyhow, hopefully someone here will enjoy this.

* * *

 

"Is everyone here?

Alright then, gather around children, today I will be reading to you the story of the fabled Dream Casters, a tale that, as you will soon find out, is quite near and dear to my heart.

In the Mushroom Kingdom, as is so strangely common an occurrence, there are said to be a group of mysterious artifacts that, according to legend, are capable of fulfilling any and all of the dreams of the person or people who can gather them all together as one. They are known as the Dream Casters, seven star-like objects that were created long ago, though by whom or what force is unclear. Some people say they've been around for longer than civilization itself, while others claim they were created by an ancient wizard to stop a horrible calamity, while some even proclaim them to be ancient, powerful ancestors of the Star Spirits, who sealed away their own power to prevent them from being misused. While their origin has always been an enigmatic mystery, the one thing that most who know of and believe the legends agree on is that the power they wield is absolutely incredible, and whoever can lay claim to all of them will have all of their wildest dreams come true, no matter how farfetched or outlandish they may be, capable of altering peoples' minds and bending the very fabric of reality itself to do so. Even alone, they are capable of changing peoples' fortunes and granting them success that they wouldn't have otherwise. Unfortunately, as it so often occurs when it comes to such powerful objects, many people pursue them for selfish, evil reasons, and the Dream Casters were no exception to that rule. Though generally kept undisturbed from their resting places for many, many years, the Dream Casters would eventually become involved in a dark, sinister plot that would throw not only the Mushroom Kingdom, but the entire world into great turmoil..."

* * *

We open on the Mario Brothers' residence, on the kind of crisp, clear, beautiful day that was the norm in the Mushroom Kingdom, as the dutiful Parakoopa mailman, Parakarry, was duly delivering another letter, shouting out "Mail Call!" as was his custom. Shortly after he departed into the sky towards his next destination, Luigi stepped outside, stretching and yawning as he walked over to the mailbox to retrieve it's contents. As he shuffled through the various junk and fan mail that his brother received on a daily basis, one familiarly fancy, regal letter in particular caught his attention, and he walked back into the house with a spring in his step, excitedly showing the letter to his brother, Mario, who was still seated at their dining table, groggily hovering over the half-eaten breakfast that Luigi had prepared for the two of them, clearly still half asleep, if not more so.

"Hey bro, still not awake, huh?" Luigi asked his brother with a chuckle as he took his seat across from him, mail in hand. Mario, seemingly barely registering Luigi's presence, merely shook his head 'no' and mumbled incoherently under his breath as his face drooped lifelessly over his coffee cup. "Yeah, boy, that last job sure was a nightmare, huh bro? I still can't believe some of the things that people think are alright to flush down their toilets!" Grinning, Luigi held the letter out to Mario, the sight of which seemed to perk his brother up rather quickly.

"Well, hopefully this'll lift your spirits, it's a letter from the Princess, and you know what that usually means, right?" Luigi grinned at his brother, as the red clad man's face lit up at the word 'princess'. "Haha, I figured that'd wake you up a bit. Anyway, I'll just read it out loud like usual, alright?"

With an eager nod of confirmation from his brother, Luigi carefully opened up the dainty, elaborately decorated envelope and pulled out its contents, an even more elaborately decorated letter, then began to read aloud from it.

"Dear Mario,

I have wonderful news! Today is the day that the Mushroom Kingdom's new royal cruise ship, the Grand Toadstool, takes its maiden voyage! As our Kingdom's savior, you, of course, are invited as a special guest of honor on the cruise, as well as the party we will be having on board as it takes its first voyage to sea and back! I've enclosed your ticket with this letter, and the festivities begin this afternoon, so please don't be late! I'm looking forward to seeing you soon!

P.S. I'm sorry Luigi, I tried to get you a ticket too, but according to the people organizing the event, you weren't considered 'recognizable enough' to be invited, and even as the Princess, I'm apparently not of high enough authority to allow anyone without a ticket on board. But don't you worry, I'm going to be having a word with those jerks, believe you me, and I PROMISE I'll get you a ticket for the next trip, okay? Thanks for understanding!"

Sincerely, Princess Peach

Luigi's face drooped slightly as he finished reading the letter, and he let out a small, dejected sigh before shaking his head and smiling back at Mario, who was giving his younger brother a look of concern. Reaching into the envelope, he pulled out the ornate red and gold ticket that, as the Princess said, was included with the letter, handing it to his brother almost regretfully.

"Ah, well, I guess I should be used to things like that by now..." the green clad man said with a sad little chuckle, quickly changing his tone to a brighter one so as not to ruin the good news on Mario's end. "But hey, that's alright, like the Princess said, there's always next time for me, right? Anyway, congrats, bro! I heard that only the creme de la creme of the Mushroom Kingdom were being invited for that cruise, so who knows how many famous celebrities you'll meet there! I mean, not like it gets any bigger or more famous than you, but... Hey, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you, bro, a chance to rub elbows with the elite and just relax with the Princess for once!"

Mario nodded enthusiastically, giving a little "woohoo" of excitement as his brother looked at the clock and frowned.

"Gee, it's already 10:45, you'd better hurry up and get ready, bro, you don't wanna keep the Princess waiting, and you sure don't want to show up to such a fancy shindig dressed like a plumber, do you?" Luigi stated, causing a shocked look to flash upon Mario's face as he shook his head 'no' emphatically and rushed into the brothers' bedroom to change his clothes and get packed. Zipping out moments later wearing a fancy tuxedo with a red bow tie and trim, Mario stood anxiously in front of his brother, waiting for his opinion on his choice of suit.

"Lookin' sharp, bro!" Luigi grinned, giving his brother a thumbs up of approval, allowing Mario to breathe a sigh of relief. "I mean, it'd probably look a lot better in green, but hey, red's fine too!"

Mario rolled his eyes at his brother's sarcastic statement then grinned back at him as the man in green walked over and clapped him on the back.

"Don't sweat it though, bro, I'm sure you'll fit right in with the upper crust now!" Luigi said encouragingly, before a thought popped into his head which made him frown slightly. "...Uh, but maybe you should think about packing a change of clothes, just in case, y'know? Not to put a damper on things, but you know what usually seems to happen when the Princess throws a party..."

Mario nodded knowingly to his brother and began to speak to him in his 'usual' way, which generally relied on understanding his wild hand motions more than actual words.

"What? You're wearing your tux over your overalls?" Luigi stated quizzically, before shrugging his shoulders and letting out a small laugh. "Well, that's one way of packing light, I suppose... Ah, but don't let me hold you up any longer, Princess Peach is still waiting for you, after all! And don't you worry about a thing, bro, I'll keep an eye on the place while you're gone, like usual. Now go on and have fun, bro, and give the Princess my regards!"

Mario nodded, and with another "woohoo", bounced out the door and down the pipe leading from the brothers' house to Toad Town, whistling happily to himself all the way. The focus stayed on Luigi, however, and as soon as Mario's whistling stopped and the familiar sound of his brother sliding down the warp pipe in their front yard was heard, Luigi sighed heavily to himself as he placed his elbows on the table and let his head slump down. His cheeks resting lazily on his knuckles as he stared wistfully out the window into the beautiful Mushroom Kingdom sky, Luigi shook his head and began to speak aloud to himself.

"Darn it... Once again, Mario gets to go off on some fun, exciting vacation, while I'm left sitting at home watching after this dumb ol' house. Bowser will probably crash the party, like usual, and Mario will get to go off on some grand adventure, like usual, all the while I'll be stuck here, doing nothing but waiting for news about all the cool things my brother is off doing... Like usual."

Getting up and strolling over to the brothers' bedroom, Luigi took a somewhat aged photograph down from their dresser and sighed once again as he stared at the picture it displayed, one of himself, Mario, and the Princess, smiling broadly at the camera. The picture was taken, as Luigi remembered, shortly after the brothers' adventures through Dinosaur Land, where they had first met their pal, Yoshi. It was the last time in a long time that Luigi was in any of the pictures that lined the dresser, most of them containing only Mario, the Princess, and whatever other no doubt wonderful friends that Mario had made during the adventures he had embarked on without him.

"...Gah, it's not fair!" Luigi pouted as he set the photograph back down more roughly than he had wanted to upon the dresser, causing the other picture frames to shake slightly from the impact, one of them falling off his side of the dresser entirely. "I mean, I'm a hero too, aren't I? We aren't called the 'Mario **Brothers** " for nothing, are we? Yet, Mario is the only one who ever gets any of the attention or praise anymore, while most people don't even know who I am! Geez..."

Shaking his head bitterly, Luigi finally took notice of the picture frame that had fallen off the dresser and reached down to pick it up, a small smile creeping across his lips for a moment as he stared fondly at the photograph displayed within it, a photograph of himself, Rosalina, and a whole bunch of cute little Lumas that were happily gathered all around them. No Mario in sight.

Of course, the one right next to it on Mario's side of the dresser contained Mario, Peach, and Rosalina, with Luigi just barely visible in the background amongst a group of Toads and Lumas, but Luigi payed no heed to it, instead placing his most treasured photograph gently next to it back where it belonged, scooting it out in front of the others a little so as to make it stand out a bit more.

"See, I'm just as much of a hero as Mario is... At least, Rosalina thinks so..." Luigi lamented to no one in particular, as he sat down upon his bed and stared sadly back at his favorite photo. "I mean, sure, maybe I'm not as brave as he is, or as quick-witted, but I'm faster, and I'm an even better jumper than HE is, so I can get the job done just as well in my own way!" Glancing over at the (much) smaller set of photographs on his side of the dresser, Luigi shivered a bit at the sight of his most recently taken picture, one that contained an adventure he'd much sooner forget than anything else. "...Er, as long as it doesn't involve ghosts... Brr... I really should check up on the professor soon to see how Spooky's doing, though..."

Before Luigi could give the thought anymore attention, however, there came a sharp knocking sound upon his door, one that Luigi certainly didn't recognize as belonging to his brother or any of their acquaintances, the sound startling him instantly out of his self-pity party, to such a degree that he jumped clear out of his seat, bonking his head on his own bunk in the process.

"Owowowowow, Mama Mia..." Luigi muttered in pain as he rubbed the back of his head gingerly. Once the pain had died down, he soon realized that there was still someone knocking at his door, and he hastily cried out, "C-COMING, JUST A MOMENT!"

Rushing to the front door, almost stumbling over one of the misaligned floorboards at the entrance to his secret room in the process, Luigi had to stop nearly on a dime to prevent himself from crashing right into the door, and after taking a moment to compose himself, he opened it somewhat warily, not knowing who exactly would be waiting for him on the other side.

"H-Hello...?" he called meekly, opening the door just a tiny crack and peering out from behind it. Not getting a response, and not seeing anyone in the small space that was visible through the crack, Luigi cautiously swung the door open wider, and was immediately baffled, as there did not appear to be hide nor hair of anyone on the other side.

"W-What the...?" Luigi stuttered in confusion, stepping outside as he glanced up, down, and around the house, not able to see anyone anywhere, nor could he see anyone in their front yard. " _Strange_..." he thought to himself, " _I didn't hear anyone go down the pipe... Come to think of it, I didn't hear anyone come up it either..._ "

A sudden sense of paranoia creeping over him, Luigi quickly rushed back into his house, slamming the door shut behind him and locking it instantly. "Okay... That was weird..." Luigi said to himself, shaking his head in utter confusion as he turned and began walking back to his kitchen table to try and finish the breakfast that he had been neglecting since the mail had arrived. "I'm just going to pretend that never..." Luigi was stopped mid-sentence, as he quickly noticed something out of place sitting atop his table, a letter that he was certain wasn't there before, sitting right next to the open letter of Peach's, on Mario's side of the table. "...H-H-Happened..."

Gulping, Luigi felt a chill run down his spine, as the sense of paranoia crept back into his brain, even stronger this time. Looking all around the room, eyes darting every which way, Luigi began panicking at the thought that whoever it was at the door had somehow snuck in when he wasn't looking. Shakily grabbing his hammer from the wall for protection, Luigi made his way into the bedroom, and searched everywhere for any sign of an intruder, even taking the time to check his secret room, on the incredibly unlikely off-chance that someone had seen through his cleverly disguised entrance. They hadn't, of course.

As he returned to the kitchen, Luigi hung his hammer back up on it's hook and breathed a small sigh of relief, one that got caught in his throat midway as he once again noticed the letter that had mysteriously appeared upon his table.

"...Geez, Luigi, what are you doing?" he said to himself in disgust, once he realized how ridiculous he was acting. "Scared of a letter, really? ...Man, now I remember, THIS is why no one takes me seriously anymore... Well, no more of THAT, you hear me, me?"

Walking defiantly over to the letter, Luigi snatched it up and glanced at both sides of it, looking for any signs of identification or postage. There was none at all, save for a neatly written, cursive script reading "To Mr. Mario". Undeterred, Luigi tore the envelope open, shaking it upside down over the table to spill it's contents out in front of him. Curiously enough, another ticket fell out of the envelope along with the letter, something which piqued Luigi's already budding interest.

"Huh? What's this...?" Luigi said, picking up the ticket and looking it over. "A first class ticket to New Appelle for my brother? Who in the world would send something like this?" Setting the ticket down, Luigi picked up the letter that came with it, unfolding it to see the same neat, cursive script that was scrawled on the envelope. Reading it silently to himself, Luigi's interest and curiosity soon turned to panic and dread by the time he had finished.

"To Mario,

My name is Merlon. Perhaps you may have crossed paths with another Merlon or two during one of your no doubt countless journeys, but I assure you that we have never met before. I live in the city of New Appelle, a bustling metropolis which I'm sure you recognize immediately as one of the biggest cities in the Mushroom Kingdom. Apologies for the vagueness, but I'll just cut right to the chase, since I'm uncertain how safe it is to reveal any particular details of this in a letter. As people of my race often do, last night I had a vision, a vision concerning you, and it is most urgent that I speak to you as soon as possible. You mustn't waste any time, for this is a matter of grave importance, as I fear the fate of the Mushroom Kingdom, if not the world itself, is in utter peril. It must be you, and ONLY you, who heeds this call, for reasons I will specify when we meet face to face in the privacy of my house, the only place I know of that is safe from potentially prying eyes. Attached to this letter is a plane ticket to New Appelle, please drop whatever you are doing immediately and make haste to the airport at once. I will be waiting for you at my house, which I'm certain you'll be able to locate quite easily once you arrive.

P.S. Do **NOT** tell _**ANYONE**_ else about the contents of this letter, or that you are leaving for New Appelle, this matter concerns you and you alone, I am certain of that fact, and it is simply just not safe to trust anybody in this situation.

-Merlon

Luigi jumped up in shock once he finished the letter, dropping it to the table as he shot his attention over to the clock on the wall and gasped.

"Oh no, Mario's probably already at the docks!" he cried, hastily scooping up the letter and ticket back into the envelope. "I gotta hurry up and get these to him before it's too late!"

Rushing out the door, Luigi didn't even remember to lock it behind him, such was the urgency in his step, as he zipped down the warp pipe to Toad Town. Running through it's streets as fast as his feet would carry him, slipping and sliding every which way as he tried to turn corners, Luigi cried out his brother's name repeatedly in the vain hope that he would hear him, but all he got instead were a lot of curious looks from the residents of Toad Town as he passed them all by on his frantic dash through the usually peaceful town.

Finally, he arrived at the Toad Town docks, but unfortunately for him, the entire area was absolutely packed with onlookers watching the ship as it got ready to head out to sea for the very first time, many hoping to catch a glimpse of the Princess, Mario, or their other favorite celebrities.

" _MARIOOOOOOOOOOO!_ " Luigi cried out, trying desperately to get his brother's attention before the ship departed, as he fought to make his way through the incredibly dense crowd of people. "Hey, please, I need to get to my brother, Mario! It's extremely important!"

"Hey, watch it, pal!"

"Yeah, and my mom is Princess Peach!" shouted someone else from the crowd, drawing a bit a laughter from the others around him. "Get in line like everyone else, you loser!"

"Yeah, no cutting!"

Before Luigi could say anything else on the matter, he was unceremoniously dumped back out at the back of the crowd. As he lay face first in the dirt, he could hear the incredibly loud sound of the ship's horn, signaling it's departure, followed by the wild screams of the crowd as everyone began to yell and wave goodbye to those onboard, much to Luigi's horror. Shooting to his feet, Luigi decided it was time for desperate measure, and jumped atop the crowd itself, stepping as quickly as he could atop the heads of the unsuspecting and none-too-pleased citizens in front of him.

" _ **MAAAAAAAARIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOO!**_ " he cried at the top of his lungs, as he waved frantically to Mario, trying desperately to get his attention. Just as his brother caught sight of him, however, someone angrily grabbed a hold of his legs and yanked him down from his perch, sending him crashing back down into the crowd of people, completely undetectable to his brother, as the ship slowly cruised out to sea and faded away into the distance.

Luigi could do nothing but cower in fear and hope to not get trampled as the crowd began to pour out around him, everyone else eager to get back to their normal lives or to Club 64 to continue celebrating now that the ship had departed. It wasn't until a good minute later when Luigi finally looked up, only to see he was the only one left around, save for a small smattering of Toads who presumably worked at the docks, all of whom looked on at Luigi with varying looks of bewilderment or scorn.

Struggling to get back up to his feet once again, Luigi quickly fell back to his knees and hung his head in defeat once he realized the boat was no longer anywhere in sight.

"Oh, no..." he began, grasping the sides of his head as he began to shake his head more and more. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no! NOW how am I supposed to get this to Mario?! The ship isn't supposed to be back until next week! Mama Mia, what am I gonna do now?!"

"Mommy, why is that strange green man talking to himself and vibrating?" came the precocious voice of a young Toad child, who stood a short ways away, pointing at Luigi as he and his mother waited in line in front of an ice cream vendor.

"Come along now, dear, it's not nice to point at raving lunatics." the child's mother replied, handing the boy his ice cream cone and ushering his gaze away from Luigi. "They're people too, after all!"

"...Hnnngh, think Luigi, THINK!" Luigi said to himself, not at all paying any attention to the slight scene that he was causing. "Come on, what would Mario do? ...Oh, right, he'd go, because... The letter's... For him..."

Luigi drooped his head once more, letting it hang there for a moment before suddenly perking it back up, an uncharacteristically determined look upon his face.

"Hey, you know what? Who's to say Mario always has to be the hero?" he stated to himself, scoffing as he picked himself back up once again, this time much more confidently. "Sure, this Merlon guy may have asked specifically for him and only him, but how was he to know his letter wouldn't reach him in time? And sure, I'm not Mario, but I'm the next best thing! Whatever it is that he needs Mario for, I can do just as well! Yeah, that's right, let Mario have fun and relax for once, it's finally Luigi's time to shine!"

Hopping up in the air excitedly, a new resolve manifesting within him, Luigi hurriedly began to make his way to the Toad Town Airport, the ticket meant for his brother clutched firmly in his gloved hand, as a few of the Toads who were still watching him cheered him on, regardless of the fact that they had absolutely no clue whatsoever who he was or what he was doing.

* * *

PAPER LUIGI: THE DREAM CATHEDRAL

**PRESS START**

* * *

 Shortening my note from the original upload, hopefully this opening isn't too genericy or samey or whatnot, I'm trying to make this seem as much like a Paper Mario "game" as I can in writing form, so I hope I accomplished that.


	2. Prologue, Part 1: A Bumpy Arival

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..."

"Sir, you need to wake up."

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..."

"Your flight landed an hour ago, sir, you're causing delays!"

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..."

"Oh, for the love of... _**HEY, WAKE UP ALREADY, YOU LAZY BUM!**_ "

Startled awake at long last, Luigi was instantly confused by the look of pure, unbridled loathing that the flight attendant Toad standing in the aisle to his side was giving him.

"Wha...?" Luigi muttered groggily, wiping the sleep gunk from his eyes. "Are we there yet?"

Transitioning to the outside of the plane, where the sun was just beginning to fade away beyond the cityscape horizon, the only word said by the flight attendant was a loud, emphatic " **YES!** ", followed shortly thereafter with Luigi's sudden departure from the plane as he was tossed out by the surprisingly strong flight attendant, ala Jazz being thrown out by Uncle Phil. As Luigi landed on his face with a thud, the plane's stairs folded back into it as it shuttled down the runway into an open hangar. Picking himself back up and dusting himself off with as much dignity as he could muster, Luigi let out a low whistle and rubbed his neck sorely.

"Mama Mia... Talk about a rough landing..."

Quickly regaining his bearings, Luigi made his way off of the tarmac and into the airport terminal, eager to get inside and out of the cool, nippy New Appelle air. As he stepped into the crowded, noisy New Appelle International Airport, Luigi glanced around the enormous main terminal nervously, looking for an exit into the city proper. Almost as soon as he set foot into the building, however, he was immediately accosted by an incredibly scuzzy looking Goomba with a black, pinstriped baseball cap and a slicked back, black ponytail that looked as if it hadn't been washed in months, if not years. All in all, the Goomba practically radiated sleaze, and unfortunately for Luigi, he began to speak to him, an unpleasant gleam in his eye.

"Hehehe, wow buddy, you look like you got hit by a train!" the Goomba began before Luigi could escape, sidling up to him in an uncomfortably close manner. Grinning at the altogether frazzled expression on Luigi's face, the Goomba continued his spiel. "You need a lawyer, pal? 'Cuz hey, as it just so happens, I am, in fact, one of the greatest lawyers in all of New Appelle! Goom E. Ryerson, attorney at law, at your service!" Somehow pulling a shifty looking degree out of his 'pocket' without actually having hands, or pockets for that matter, the Goomba held it up just long enough for Luigi to begin noticing that the words appeared to be drawn on by hand in crayon, then quickly stuffed it back away and pulled a much smaller object out, thrusting it into Luigi's gloved hand against his will. "Here, take a card, and we can get down to business, alright palsy?"

Luigi stood there momentarily dazed at the sudden and fast-paced nature of this unexpected meeting, as he looked down at the filthy, torn up card that he just KNEW was going to stain his glove in some way. Quickly shaking himself out of his stupefied state, Luigi began to back away from the Goomba, shaking his head and stuttering, "O-Oh no, I-I don't need a lawyer!"

"You sure, buddy? Because you look AWFULLY banged up there..." the Goomba stated persuasively, slithering back up to Luigi like a snake playing with it's wounded prey.

"N-No, no, I'm quite sure, I'm a-ok, no lawyer needed for me, no siree!" Luigi replied, desperately trying to get away from the ambulance chasing Goomba at all costs.

"Ah, well, your loss then, pal!" the Goomba finally relented, muttering "Lousy rotten bum..." under his breath as Luigi stepped onto a busy escalator, which the Goomba seemed none too keen on getting onto himself. As Luigi slowly rode downward, away from the Goomba, he heard the alleged lawyer call out behind him, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be back soon enough, hehehehehe!"

Luigi let out a shiver of slight horror once he stepped off the escalator. That sure wasn't what he expected the 'welcoming committee' to look like... Shaking his head, Luigi convinced himself it had to be an isolated incident, " _That guy probably does the same thing to every poor, unsuspecting shmuck who gets off the plane looking as confused as I did._ " Luigi thought, chuckling to himself. Feeling a bit more at ease, he continued on his way, but quickly stopped off at a receptionist's booth the moment he spotted it, figuring it'd be a lot easier to just ask someone who worked at the place where the exit was rather than wandering around blindly, trying to find it himself.

Clearing his throat, he walked up to the receptionist's little tube shaped cubicle, or 'tubicle', as Luigi rather uncleverly thought to himself, and politely began to ask for directions from the unsettlingly happy looking receptionist Toad. "Excuse me, ma'am, but I-"

"Why, hello there! Welcome to New Appelle!" the receptionist Toad interrupted cheerfully, her already disturbingly robotic smile stretching even wider as she began to speak. "We here at Toadway Airlines hope you had an enjoyable flight, and we personally recommend the Shooting Star Suites hotel chain as your inn of choice during your visit! And remember to tell them Toadway Airlines sent you for an amazing 10% increase on the price of all amenities!"

Luigi blinked, staring back at the receptionist nervously, letting out an uncomfortable forced laugh as the receptionist continued to smile blankly at him. Slowly, he started trying to explain his situation again, once he was sure she didn't have another sales pitch to interrupt him with. "U-Um, b-but I-"

Before Luigi could get another word out, the receptionist slammed her booth's little window, taping a piece of paper to her side which read "Sorry, gone to lunch!", though she still continued to do nothing but stare at Luigi eerily from the other side, unflinching, unblinking, and unmoving, watching him the entire way as he shuffled out of the area and into the next one, stuffing his hands into his pockets and sighing in annoyance. Eventually, after a few more fruitless minutes of walking around in circles and getting nowhere, Luigi decided to stop and rest for a moment in a small waiting lounge, to try and get his bearings back as best he could. Unfortunately, he couldn't help but overhear a whole variety of other depressing conversations as he stood in the cramped, overpacked lounge.

"Wonderful, another business trip to this rotten apple of a city... Am I ever going to be able to see my wife and kids' faces again?" muttered an orange spotted Toad in a sharp business suit, who looked to be burning through his company's expense account at the lounge's cola bar. Taking a long swig of his Chuckola Cola, he laughed bitterly to himself and shook his head. "Not like it matters, since I doubt they even remember mine anymore..."

Frowning sadly at the man's plight, Luigi's attention turned to a very out of place looking Doogan standing at the corner of the cola bar, who wore tacky clothing more suited to a tropical island tourist trap than to a place like New Appelle. The lime green Hawaiian shirt and hot neon pink swim trunk wearing Doogan paced back and forth in an anxious, overly caffeinated manner, as he spoke loudly to a Koopa who had the misfortune of being nearby him, his voice almost as grating and obnoxious to listen to as his clothing was to look at.

"Can you believe this, man?! Talk about totally bogus! I have no idea how I even ended up here!" the Doogan said in irritation, the poor Koopa looking as if he'd rather be having dinner with a group of starved cannibals than listening to the Doogan's tale of supposed misery. "I was supposed to be heading to the Keelhaul Key Resort for my vacation, I reserved the presidential suite and everything! But now I only have enough money to make the return trip... Man, this bites!" The Doogan kicked stupidly at a nearby bar stool, injuring his foot in the process and giving the Koopa a chance to escape while he was distracted hopping up and down on his uninjured foot. Once he stopped hopping, he sighed in disgust, then put his hand up to his chin and muttered to himself, "...I wonder if there are any good lawyers in this town..."

Luigi merely shook his head at both the Doogan's story and his actions, then stood up to get back to looking for the exit, more than ready to get away from the lounge of despair and misery before he overheard any other tales of misfortune. However, as he was turning to leave, an incredibly giddy and excited looking red-spotted female Toad came riding down the escalator he had gotten off of earlier, with a voice almost as obnoxious as the Doogan's, though with a noticeably southern/hick accent, and whose appearance and demeanor just SCREAMED 'naive tourist'. She talked loudly to herself, drawing a lot of attention from passers by which she seemed completely oblivious to, lost in her own little world.

"Ah, finally, I'm here in the big city!" the Toad exclaimed, twirling through the small, cramped lounge as best she could, completely ignoring all the scathing looks she was getting from the people she walked past, seemingly without a care in the world. "I've waited so long to get out of my podunk little home town, I was starting to think this day would never arrive! Now my only worry is, where should I go first? Should I see Madame Flurrie's newest play, get something to eat from one of the super famous restaurants in 'The Circle', or head to the stadium to watch the Chomps demolish whatever poor team has the misfortune of playing them today? Ah, decisions, decisions..." Stopping in place, seemingly to actually try to use her brain for a moment, the Toad began looking all around her before catching a glimpse of the closest person to her, who just so unfortunately happened to be Luigi. Smiling broadly at him, she rushed up to him like a moth to a flame before he had much of a chance to get away, and began speaking to him so quickly he could hardly make out what she was saying. "Say, you don't know your way around here, do you? Oh, wait, what am I saying, of COURSE you don't! I mean, who in their right mind would wear an outfit as tacky as THAT in a place like this besides some kind of clueless out-of-town backwoods yokel? Sorry for asking such a silly question! La-da-dee-dee-daaaaaa~!"

With that, the Toad girl twirled back off in a random direction, humming to herself as she assumingly went looking for another person to completely talk over. Luigi could do little more than take off his hat and scratch his head in bewilderment. He had been involved in three conversations so far, if you could even call them that, and he couldn't get a word in edgewise in any of them. He had been in New Appelle for all of ten minutes, and he already couldn't stand it. And he hadn't even left the airport yet!

" _Well, surely the rest of the city isn't like this._ " Luigi thought to himself, trying his best to stay positive, something he wasn't particularly skilled in doing. " _I'm sure most big city airports are filled to the brim with nutjobs like these, so it probably doesn't have any bearing whatsoever about what the actual citizens of this fine city are really like...I hope._ "

As Luigi was lost in thought, a small hand crept up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, this your first time in the big city, buddy?" came a sudden voice from behind Luigi, causing him to whip around and jump back in fright from the unexpectedness of it. The source of the voice and the hand, a rather normal looking (in comparison to the other people Luigi had met in the airport, at least) blue-spotted male Toad, held his hands up in front of himself non-threateningly, letting out a small laugh at Luigi's reaction. "Whoa-hoa-hoa, sorry 'bout that, pal, didn't mean to scare ya like that! You just looked so tweaked out there, I wanted to make sure you were okay, that's all!"

Once Luigi's heart managed to dislodge itself from his throat, he took a few deep, calming breaths and replied regretfully to the Toad. "A-Ah, no, it's alright, everything scares me... Er, I mean... Yeah, this is my first time in the big city. Or, well, my first time in ANY big city, really. So it's just a little daunting to me, that's all. I'm sure I'll get used to it soon, though!"

"Hoo boy..." The Toad let out a low breath, looking at Luigi with concern, an expression that Luigi was none too pleased to see. "Well, I hate to break it to ya, fella, but take my advice, most of the people here are slimier than the sewers, and they smell worse to boot. So if I were you, I'd try an' keep my mouth shut and not talk to any old random stranger that you happen to meet, like you're doing right now!"

"O-O-O-Oh dear..." Luigi stuttered in worry, any sense of optimism he had left flushed right down the proverbial toilet.

"Oh, and make sure you keep any and all personal items and valuables close to your person at all times, ESPECIALLY if you happen to accidentally walk down any back alleys." the Toad continued, much to Luigi's utter chagrin. "There's a reason people always leave here poorer than they arrived, and believe me, it ain't the 'five star' services and entertainment!"

"A-Ah, I'll... I'll keep that in mind..." Luigi stuttered, no longer wanting to leave the airport. He quickly did his best to silence those thoughts of cowardice, however; this was no time for 'that' Luigi to rear his head, he was on an important mission, and bah gawd, he wasn't going to give up before he even got started! Steeling his nerves, he tipped his cap and smiled at the Toad, forcing his negative thoughts into the back of his mind. "Well, th-thanks for the heads up, I'll definitely make sure to stay on my guard at all times while I'm here."

"No problem, man, just tryin' to do my part to warn people who don't know any better, because the last thing you wanna be in a city like this is clueless." the Toad said, smiling wearily back at Luigi. "I dunno what you're here for, but stay on your toes, pal, and good luck, because you're gonna need it!"

With that, the Toad waved goodbye, a gesture that Luigi returned to him, and he walked away, leaving Luigi alone.

"Oh boy, that's just great, since good luck is something that's morally opposed to me..." Luigi mumbled dryly to himself as soon as he was alone. Suddenly, he felt like kicking himself, realizing he should've asked the helpful Toad for directions, since he was still completely lost. Sighing hopelessly, Luigi knew one thing for sure at least; when he was ready to go home, he was taking a boat.

Thankfully for Luigi, the exit wasn't as hard to find as he feared it was going to be, and he eventually stumbled upon it after about ten more minutes of walking around aimlessly, following signs that weren't nearly as informative and helpful as the should have been in Luigi's opinion. Nevertheless, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief once he finally saw the exit doors, and sat down on a padded seat near the door to make sure he had everything tucked away safely as the friendly Toad had told him to before he headed out into the city. Sound from a nearby TV caught his attention, and as he looked at it, he saw a familiar sight displayed upon it.

"This is Clara T., reporting to you LIVE from the Toad Town docks!" came the enthusiastic voice of the television reporter, who indeed was standing in the exact spot that Luigi had been just hours ago. Catching a glimpse of Club 64 in the background, Luigi's stomach rumbled, and he licked his lips longingly at the thought of digging into one of their delicious seafood dishes, sighing sadly to himself once he realized he wouldn't be able to taste it for a good long while, and equally hoping the food in New Appelle was both edible and not too expensive.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, earlier today, the Grand Toadstool, the Mushroom Kingdom's new royal cruise ship, set off on its maiden voyage from this very port, taking with it an absolute smorgasbord of S-List celebrities and socialites of incomparable renown, from movie stars, to superstar athletes, to famous geniuses, and everyone else in between! And of course, it just wouldn't be right if the cruise didn't contain the two most famous and beloved citizens in our entire kingdom, the always lovely Princess Peach and her hero and our, the one and only SUPER Mario!"

"Always with the 'super' moniker..." Luigi scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Sure'd be nice if people called me 'Super' Luigi all the time like that..."

"And folks, make sure you tune in at 9:00, as we'll be broadcasting LIVE ON LOCATION aboard the Grand Toadstool itself, with our venerable veteran reporter, Klarc Koopsleeve, there to interview anyone and EVERYONE! You don't wanna miss it folks, so stay right here, on your number one source for news in New Appelle, MKBN!"

"Boy, what I wouldn't give to be on that cruise right now..." came the voice of a female Koopa who was sitting across from Luigi, shaking her head longingly. "Because man-o-man, am I tired of this place. Let me tell you, there's nothing more depressing than watching the people who hang out in airports, ESPECIALLY this one. It's so easy to tell who's who just by the looks on their faces. Miserable businessmen whose jobs constantly keep them away from their families, sleazy ambulance chasing lawyers trying to scam up new 'clients', naive out-of-towners who think the big city's some super great place like it's portrayed as in the movies and on TV..." Staring at Luigi, she raised her eyebrow curiously. "...But I gotta say, I can't tell WHAT you're here for. Is there some sort of septic worker's convention going down in town today?"

"Er, actually, I'm..." Luigi bit his lip when he remembered what the letter said about not telling anyone a thing about why he was there for. "...Yeah, let's... Let's go with that."

"Oh, great, in that case, do you think you could come take a look at my toilet before you head out there?" the Koopa asked, leaning in close to Luigi before finishing her sentence in a rather embarrassed manner. "You see, I kind of... Flushed my phone down it... Totally by accident, of course! But yeah, I can't really call anyone OR use the bathroom until I get it out, so..."

"Oh, uh, gee, m-maybe later, ma'am..." Luigi stated semi-regretfully, getting up and walking to the door before the Koopa had a chance to try and persuade him any further. He was still aching from the last toilet he and his brother had to unclog, so Luigi sure wasn't looking to do THAT again anytime soon.

Bracing himself as best he could for both the cold and whatever else awaited him, Luigi stepped out through the airport's automatic doors, finally setting foot into New Appelle City proper for the very first time. The city that sprawled out before him was not at all what he was expecting, and he stood and stared in awe; at the tall, tall buildings, the throngs of people rushing to and fro, and the astounding numbers of lights that lit the entire city up like one big Christmas tree. Luigi had never been to a place quite like New Appelle before, and the sights, smells, and sounds that surrounded him flooded his senses with a feeling of pure wonderment.

"Wow, they aren't kidding when they call this place the big city..." he said to himself, continuing to stare ahead of him, his eyes darting from one point of interest to the next.

Unfortunately, Luigi became so entranced in the city that was sprawled out in front of him that he didn't even notice the vile green suited Bandit the was sneaking up behind him until it was too late.

"Haha, thanks for the coins, sucker!" the Bandit sneered, bumping forcefully into Luigi, swiping his wallet with ease, then zipping out of sight down a nearby back alley, all before Luigi could even react.

"W-W-W-WAH!" Luigi cried out in shock, stumbling forward from the force of the Bandit's unexpected bump, almost stumbling right into a lane of busy traffic. Quickly stopping himself before he became roadkill, Luigi hopped back and started patting down the pocket he had stuffed his wallet into, realizing it was no longer there.

"N-NO! All my coins, and my passport, too!" Luigi cried, horrified that he had already fallen prey to the city. "Oh no, oh no! I won't be able to do ANYTHING if I don't get those back! I gotta catch that lousy, rotten thief before he gets away!"

Looking frantically in the direction that he thought the Bandit took off to, he spotted a lone, dark alleyway, the sight of which made Luigi's blood run cold. There was no way, NO _WAY_ that Luigi would EVER so much as THINK of going down such a horrifyingly foreboding alleyway, let alone at night... Unless he absolutely had to. And, unfortunately for him, that was just the case.

"M-M-M-M-Mama M-Mia..." Luigi continued to hesitate, until suddenly realizing that the Bandit was getting further and further away the longer he waited. Steeling up all his nerve, Luigi ran towards the alley, feeling as if he was rushing straight into the maw of death itself.

As he made it to the entrance of the alleyway, Luigi was greeted with a sight that he was not expecting, but one that made him even more terrified than he already was.

"Hey girly, dat's a nice camera ya got dere!"

"Hehehe, that ain't the ONLY thing she's got on her that's nice!"

"Oh yeah, I think you mighta taken a wrong turn somewhere, didn'tcha, girly?"

Dimly illuminated by a dying street light, a group of thugs, consisting a Bandit, a Doogan, and a Goomba, had someone cornered, although Luigi couldn't make out what she looked like, as she was pinned into a corner by the thugs, making it impossible for Luigi to make much out other than a brief glimpse of something green.

"Sh-Shut up, you creeps!" cried the girl. While the fear in her voice was clearly evident, she didn't seem like she was going to just back down either. "Get lost, you jerks! You... You don't wanna mess with me! I... I know people! DANGEROUS people! People that are gonna rip you guys to shreds if they find out you did anything to me!"

"Ohoho, is dat right, girly?" came the snide reply of whom Luigi assumed was the leader of the group, the Bandit. Sneering evilly, the Bandit laughed. "Well, I guess we won't leave anything for these 'people' to find, then."

As the Bandit and the Goomba laughed horribly, the Doogan had a troubled look upon his face, and he was quick to speak his concern to his leader. "B-But, boss, what if she ain't kiddin'? For all we know, she might be some mob boss' daughter or somethin'!"

"Y-Yeah, that's right, that's exactly what I am!" the girl said quickly, which only served to enhance the frightened expression on the Doogan's face. The Bandit, however, merely growled in annoyance.

"Doogley, you idiot, dere ain't no mobs what are run by dem dumb dinos!" the Bandit scalded, smacking the Doogan upside the head.

"Oh..." Doogley replied, rubbing his head before the worried look came back to it. "B-But, boss, what if she's adopted?"

"Y-Yeah, what if I'm adopted?!" the girl cried, before quickly amending her statement. "I-I mean, yeah, I'm adopted, that's exactly what I am! And boy oh boy, are you idiots ever gonna get it when my dad finds out about this! He's gonna send his associates out, and they're gonna make it so that you'll have to eat everything through a straw for the rest of your lives! I-In fact, knowing how paranoid he is, he uh, he probably already sent some guys out to follow me, he's always worried about me like that! So, uh, you guys, you better just run now, if you know what's good for you!"

The Bandit smacked the Doogan again, harder this time, as he whimpered in apparent fear of the repercussions of their actions. Once more, the Bandit seemed nonplussed, folding his arms and sneering at the girl.

"Oh yeah, is dat right, girly?" the Bandit asked, clearly not convinced at all by the girl's obvious lies. "So, tell me dhen, where are all dese so called 'associates' of yer 'daddy', huh?"

"Uhhhhh..." As the thugs laughed and began to close in on the girl, she shuffled around, looking around desperately for something, then suddenly gasping and pointing. "Th-There's one right now! And oh my gosh, it's... It's ' _HIM_ '! Wow, you guys are DEAD MEAT now!"

The thugs all turned around to look at the person that the girl was pointing at.

"O-Oh no..." Luigi whimpered, as all three thugs began glowering at him threateningly. "Somehow, I should've seen that coming..."


	3. Prologue, Part 2: Back Alley Brawl

Luigi stood trembling in fear as the three thugs bared down on him menacingly. As they spread out a bit from each other, Luigi could see the form of the girl they had trapped against the wall; a mint green Yoshi with short, reddish pink hair, who actually seemed to be wearing some form of clothes, a first for Luigi: a white and blue vest with matching boots and hat, along with a blue and cyan scarf. Not that any of this really mattered to him, of course, as he was still quaking in his boots due to the situation. Seeing the look of sheer terror on Luigi's face, along with the fact that he was shaking like an inflatable tube man in a tornado, the Bandit quickly broke into a fit of laughter.

"Ahahaha, oh, dat's priceless! Dis guy... _DIS_ guy is supposed ta scare me? Dat poor putz looks like he's afraid of his own shadow!"

The Yoshi let out an equally loud laugh, though hers was quite obviously forced. "H-Hahahaha, th-that's just what he wants you shmucks to think! That... That's what makes him so dangerous; no one expects someone as scrawny and pathetic looking as him to be a threat at all, and then BAM! You're pulverized before you even know what hitcha! That's why he's my dad's top enforcer, after all! Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, survives a scuffle with... With... Uh... Reginald Von... Painstache!"

Though the Doogan was once again beginning to adopt a look of fear, the Bandit smacked him upside the head before he could start up again. He then turned back towards the girl and gave her an evil smirk, letting her know that he obviously saw through her less than clever lies.

"Ya know girly, I don't appreciate it when someone goes an' tries to insult my superior intelligentical intellect like you seem ta be tryin' ta do. Yer only diggin' yerself an' Mr. Used Tissue ovah dere deeper an' deeper da more you try an' sound smart."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not trying to do anything like that." the Yoshi replied, all too casually. "After all, it's pretty hard to insult something that doesn't exist in the first place."

That really got under the Bandit's skin, as did the unwitting reactions from his accomplices. Smacking both of their heads together, he growled threateningly at the girl, and then at Luigi. "Grr, DAT'S it! No more games, you smart alleck lizard! Let's just see how strong yer little 'protector' ovah dere really is!"

"Be my guest, it'll be YOUR funeral!" the Yoshi said confidently, though the look she shot Luigi was anything but. "Uh, r-right, 'Reggie'...?"

Luigi continued to cower like a wet leaf as the Bandit made his way menacingly towards him. As his two co-horts began to join him, however, the Bandit turned around and held up his hand to stop them.

"Heh, youse guise just keep yer eyes on da girlie, I can take care o' dis chump on my own! I'll have 'im runnin' home with his tail between his legs like a scolded dog with a case of the livertail!"

The two underlings scratched their heads in confusion at the Bandit's strange euphemism.

"Uhh, do what now, boss?" the Goomba asked.

The Bandit fumed, stomping and glaring back at his underlings. "Grr, just watch da girl, you dolts!" Turning his attention back to Luigi, the Bandit shot the poor plumber a sinister smile. "Now, it's time ta teach you a lesson for stickin' dat big ol' nose o' yers in where it don't belong, chump."

"Ohoho, dis should be good!" the Goomba sneered, laughing along with his Doogan co-hort as they awaited the carnage that was about to ensue.

Luigi swallowed hard as he tried to steel himself mentally. " _Geez, Luigi, what are you doing? Gettin' all scared of some street punk? Come on, you've faced so much worse, you've taken on BOWSER, for cryin' out loud! How do you expect to do your brother's duty if you're gettin' frightened by a couple of shmucks like this? This guy ain't nothin'! No one's ever gonna take you seriously if you keep gettin' scared over everything, so you gotta man up and show this thug what you're made of!_ "

Nodding to himself mentally, Luigi furrowed his brow and took up a fighting stance, his resolve steadied once more.

"The little voice in my head is right!" Luigi said confidently, no longer frightened of the situation he was in, and feeling silly for having gotten so worked up in the first place. "I can take on mooks like you in my sleep, what am I doin' actin' like such a wimp?"

"Ooh, so you got a spine after all, eh chump?" the Bandit sneered, shaking his head dismissively. "Ha, fat lot o' good that's gonna do you, cuz HERE COMES DA PAIN!"

The Bandit rushed towards Luigi, forgoing the usual Bandit tactic of theft, instead aiming to put a dent in Luigi's skull rather than his already missing wallet. Luigi braced himself, hoping he could time the Bandit's deceptive speed and avoid his attack.

"WATCH OUT!"

As it turns out, the Yoshi did a better job of it than he did, as she cried out the moment before the Bandit slammed into Luigi, giving him the cue he needed to put his guard up and block the attack.

"Ahaha, how did ya like tha-" the Bandit began, before turning to see Luigi dusting himself off and looking none the worse for wear, a sight which took the wind right out of his sails and elicited gasps from his two goons. "W-What da-?! D-Dat's impossible, no one's eva blocked dat attack before!"

As Luigi stood there smirking at the Bandit, the Yoshi cried out again, snapping him back to attention.

"Hey, don't just stand there, get him while his guard is down!"

"Hey, you shut yer trap, girlie!" the Bandit shouted, turning his gaze back towards the girl and giving Luigi ample time to take a running leap at him.

"NOW, STOMP HIM!" the Yoshi cried out just as Luigi reached the height of his jump. Obliging, Luigi put all his force downwards, landing a direct hit right atop the Bandit's skull.

The Bandit let out a sharp wail of pain as Luigi landed safely a few feet away from him. "YEEEEEEEEOWCH!"

"Yeah, that's the way to do it!" the Yoshi shouted out in encouragement, cheering on Luigi from the sidelines and giving the Goomba and Doogan a hard time of containing her. "I'll bet that cream puff's gonna be feeling that in the morning!"

"CREAM PUFF?!" the Bandit snarled, quickly hopping to his feet and looker madder than a hornet. "Ooh, just you wait girlie, yer gonna git yer's soon enough!"

The Yoshi rolled her eyes and deadpanned. "Pfft, oh, I'm shaking in my boots."

"Yeah, you should be, cuz pretty soon yer gonna be feelin' a heepin' helpin' o' DIS!"

Turning around in an instant, the Bandit caught Luigi off guard, his attack hitting this time as he slammed hard into Luigi, knocking him down to the ground.

"Heh, yeah, now DAT'S what I'm talkin' about!" the Bandit said obnoxiously, sending a smug look the Yoshi's way as his two goons whooped and hollered for him from the sidelines.

"Oh no, are you alright?!" the Yoshi cried, ignoring the Bandit as she watched Luigi stumble to pick himself back up off the ground. After taking a moment to clear his head, Luigi nodded, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew, what am I talking about, of course you're alright, this guy hits like a butterfly."

"Hey, don't you talk trash about butterflies!" the Bandit snapped angrily, seemingly more upset by that than anything the Yoshi had said to him previously. "Dere ain't a more majestical and beautificial creature on dis planet!"

Taking advantage of the Bandit's distraction, Luigi sprang into action, leaping forward and stomping squarely on his head yet again.

"You take hits like a butterfly too." the Yoshi said, laughing to herself as the Bandit struggled to get back to his feet again.

"G-Gah, dis guy's tougher dhan he looks..." the Bandit muttered to himself under his breath.

"B-Boss! Are you okay?!" cried the Doogan, looking on in fraught.

"You want we should come help you, Boss?!" added the Goomba, which only seemed to serve to make the Bandit angrier.

"No, no!" the Bandit shouted, shaking his head vehemently at the Goomba as he finally got back up. "You mugs just keep watchin' the girl to make sure she don't try nothin' funny!" Looking at Luigi, he pointed at him and then made a cut throat motion with his thumb. "As for you, ya bum, it looks like I'm gonna have to pull out all the stops and use my **_FINAL TECHNIQUE_**!"

"Oh man, the boss NEVER has to use that attack!" the Goomba said, looking on in anticipation.

"Hoo boy, you're in for it now, ya bum!" the Doogan added, rubbing his hands together in a 'this is gonna be good' fashion.

The Bandit glowered at Luigi. "Time ta pay ya back for da thumpin', wit' interest!"

Backing up from the spot he was in, the Bandit began to run in place, building up a head of steam as he started to smoke and glow red, then in an instant, he was gone, dashing towards Luigi at a breakneck speed. Luigi hunkered down as best he could, but was ill prepared for the Bandit's blinding charge. As the Bandit drew near, however, the Yoshi's voice rang out once more.

"HIT HIM, HE'S WIDE OPEN!"

At the Yoshi's words, Luigi's mind immediately focused, and seeing the opening himself, reared back and slugged the Bandit right in the jaw with a perfectly timed uppercut just as he arrived to deliver a punch of his own, sending him careening backwards through the air, skidding and landing up against the brick wall with a resounding thud.

"YEEEEEEAH!" the Yoshi cried in triumph, jumping up into the air with a victorious fist pump, as the goons were too busy running over to their boss to check on him. "That'll teach you for trying to mug a poor, innocent girl!"

"BOSS!" the Doogan cried in horror, rushing to the Bandit's aid.

"Speak to us, boss!" the Goomba pleaded, shaking the Bandit by his shoulders to try and snap him out of his googly-eyed stupor.

"...Guh... Guh..." the Bandit, trying in vain to regain his wind, could only get a few syllables out. "...Get... Him...!"

The Goomba and Doogan looked at each other and blinked in silence, before jumping up in shock and crying out simultaneously.

"Y-You mean... You want US to fight... _HIM_?!" the Goomba asked incredulously, not at all wanting anything to do with Luigi after seeing what he had done to his boss.

"B-B-But boss, if YOU couldn't beat him, what are we supposed to do?!" the Doogan asked, himself beginning to shake much like Luigi was earlier.

"You... Idiots..." the Bandit spat, as he began to regain a little bit of consciousness. Use yer heads... You got 'im outnumbered two to one!"

"Oh, right!" the Goomba said, the proverbial light bulb going off in his tiny little brain. Wasting no time, the Goomba and Doogan shifted themselves into the main battlefield, standing between Luigi and the defeated Bandit.

The Doogan let out a dopey laugh. "Ehehe, you may've been able ta take da boss down, but there's no way you're gonna be able to handle both me an' Gooms here at the same time!"

"Yeah, it's time to give you the ol' one two three four punch!" the Goomba added leeringly.

"I don't think so!"

Before either of them knew what hit them, the Goomba and the Doogan were both lying face down in the dirt, both of them having been pelted with a large, green spotted egg from out of nowhere. Running in to join the fray, the Yoshi stood firmly behind Luigi and waited as the two goons realized what hit them.

"W'What's this?!" the Doogan shouted in anger as he rubbed the spot where the egg had hit him on his head gingerly. "What do you think you're doin', girlie?!"

"Evening the playing field, of course!" the Yoshi stated matter-of-factly. "You're nuts if you think I'm gonna let you get the double team on him! You thugs act so tough when you gang up on somebody, but let's see how you like it when the sides are the same, huh?!"

"N-No fair!" the Doogan cried. "Dat's cheating!"

"Oh please..." the Yoshi said, rolling her eyes.

"W-What are you doing?!" Luigi cried in shock at the Yoshi's actions. "Get outta here, while they're distracted!"

The Yoshi merely shook her head, giving Luigi a confident look. "No way, I wanna teach these guys a lesson for trying to mug me! Don't worry, I know I may not look like it, but I can defend myself, this isn't the first time this has happened to me... Just do the same thing you did to their boss and I'll follow, okay?"

Luigi looked back the the Yoshi with skepticism, before quickly sighing and shaking his head. "Well, if you say so..."

"I do! Now, let's show these guys the real meaning of pain, eh, 'Reggie'?" the Yoshi said, giving Luigi a knowing smirk.

"Uh, yeah, sure thing... Er, ma'am..." Luigi murmured in slight confusion, trying his best to play along.

"G-G-G-Gooms, what are we gonna do now?!" the Doogan cried in terror to his partner.

"Gah, suck it up, Doogley, you ain't gonna disobey the boss, are ya?" the Goomba chided, though he seemed just as enthusiastic about his situation as the Doogan was.

"N-N-N-No, of course not!" the Doogan said, shaking his head. "...B-But, oh man, dis ol' leg o' mine, it's startin' to cramp up somethin' fierce, I dunno if I can-"

"Enough wit' da whinin', you wimps, get dose chumps!" scowled the Bandit, sending the underlings scrambling into fighting position.

"Alright, which one do you want, the tall one, or the short one?" the Yoshi asked Luigi.

"Uh, gee, I dunno, does it matter?" Luigi asked back, not really sure of how to answer. "I know most Goombas are pushovers, but I've never fought a Doogan before."

"Ah, well then, allow me to help!" the Yoshi said, pulling out her camera and pointing it at the Doogan. "That's a Doogan. They're usually native to the seedier areas of the Mushroom Kingdom, like New Appelle, or Rogueport, for instance. That's not to say they're all bad, but... Well, they just have a nose for trouble, it seems. Their HP is 3, Attack is 1, and Defense is 0. They'll try to attack you by bum-rushing you with a shoulder charge, which is pretty weak, though sometimes they'll pull out a combo attack that does slightly more damage if they're on the ropes. They're barely any tougher than a common Goomba, so you shouldn't have much difficulty at all with them."

"What da-?!" the Doogan exclaimed in shock. "How da heck does she know all dat about me?!"

"Who cares, just get 'em!" the Bandit shouted, urging the Doogan to initiate his aforementioned bum-rush attack against Luigi, who deftly defended against it, knowing it was coming.

"W-Wow, how did you know he was going to do that?" Luigi asked the Yoshi in awe.

"Er, well, let's just say I like to learn, and I don't forget anything. Ever." the Yoshi said in slight embarrassment, before quickly changing the subject. "But that's not important, let's get back to the fight!" Pointing the camera at the Goomba this time, she once again began her explanation. "That's a Goomba. They're kind of the lowest on life's totem pole, if you catch my drift. Of course, not all Goombas are such lowly foes, but then again, that's like saying 'not all Yoshis are male' when I'm like, one out of a hundred, if even that... Aaaaanyhow, HP is 2, Attack is 1, Defense is 0. They attack with a pathetic head bonk that's easily avoided. Pretty much anything you do will defeat these chumps, if you directed a particularly violent sneeze at one, you'd probably beat it. So let's just stomp this guy into submission, okay?"

"Hey, how dare you say dose things about me!" the Goomba said in anger, rushing towards the Yoshi to give her a literal piece of his mind. The Yoshi, however, easily avoided the attack, causing the Goomba to headbonk the concrete.

"Gah, you idiots, get it together!" the Bandit screamed, looking on in utter contempt at his underlings' 'action'.

"We're tryin', boss!" the Doogan cried. "But dat Yoshi, it's like she's psychic or somethin'! She knows everything about our tactics!"

"Den come up wit' new ones, you shmucks!" the Bandit sneered, not at all pleased by his lackey's response.

"B-But boss, you know how hard it is comin' up with attacks on the fly!" the Goomba pleaded, as he struggled to flip himself back over.

" _I DON'T CARE!_ " the Bandit snarled. "STOP TALKIN' AND START POUNDIN'!"

"Why, what an excellent idea!" the Yoshi said, grinning broadly at the Bandit. "Wouldn't you agree, 'Reggie'?"

"...Wuzzat?" Luigi snapped to attention once he realized the Yoshi was talking to him. "Oh! Right, yeah, sure thing!"

Wasting no time, Luigi ran over to the Doogan, who stood almost paralyzed in fear at the sight, jumping up and bopping him on the head much like he had done to the Bandit.

"Owowowowow!" the Doogan smarted, rubbing his head in pain as he scrambled desperately to get away from Luigi.

The Yoshi, meanwhile, had taken aim at the Goomba beside her, who was still struggling to right himself.

"A-Ah geez, I don't suppose it'd work if I said 'sorry'?" the Goomba asked, flashing the Yoshi an insincere, gap-toothed grin.

"Maybe if you actually meant it!" the Yoshi said, shaking her head as she aimed an egg right for him, hurling it at the Goomba like a bowling ball. It smashed directly into him and sent him sliding into the fleeing Doogan, knocking him over onto his rear, and giving Luigi ample time to waltz over and deliver one final, emphatic kick right in the Doogan's butt, sending both him and the Goomba crashing into the Bandit.

"I-Idiots!" the Bandit cried, as he struggled to push his loopy lackeys off of him.

Luigi and the Yoshi stood before the defeated group, looking at each other bemusedly.

"Told you guys you didn't wanna mess with us." the Yoshi said, smirking at the defeated Bandit with no lack of glee.

"C-Come on, we was just kiddin', we weren't REALLY gonna mug you, h-honest!" the Bandit said, practically groveling as he lay trapped underneath his co-horts.

"Oh yeah, that's about as believable as that whole 'mob boss' daughter' thing I was-" the Yoshi began, before quickly stopping and 'correcting' herself. "I-I mean, I'll bet my dad'll LOVE to hear you tell him that, now why don't you boys just wait right here while we go and fetch him, hmm?"

All at once, the Doogan and Goomba jumped to their feet, allowing the Bandit to do the same, and the three wasted no time in getting the heck out of dodge, booking it down the alleyway like cockroaches when the light comes on.

"R-Run for it, I'm too young to sleep with the Cheep-Cheeps!" the Bandit wailed, as he disappeared down the alleyway and out of view along with his co-horts.

"Yeah, that's right, you don't want anymore of this, you cowards!" the Yoshi yelled after them, jumping up and fist pumping in celebration.

Luigi, meanwhile, merely stepped out of his fighting stance, letting out a huge sigh of relief. As she stopped her celebrating, the Yoshi turned to Luigi, and she too let out a relieved sigh.

"Gosh, I don't know how I can ever thank you though, mister!" the Yoshi said, bowing to Luigi in gratitude. "I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up when you did... I'm so super duper sorry for dragging you into that, but wow, you sure kicked their butts but good! I don't know what possible reason you had for coming down this nasty ol' alleyway, but boy am I glad you did! Thanks so much for actually helping me, I'll never forget this as long as I live!" Turning away, the Yoshi added under her breath, "...Particularly because I caught it all on camera, ahaha..."

Shaking her head, she quickly turned back to Luigi and beamed at him once more. "But yeah, I'm so used to people in this city just turning the other way and ignoring things like this when they stumble upon them, I was really starting to give up hope for society... But then again, I'm gonna go ahead and wager that you're not from around here, are you?"

Luigi shook his head. "N-No, I'm... Well, it's actually kind of a long story."

"Ah, I gotcha." the Yoshi said, nodding in understanding. "Well, thanks again for the help, mister, is there anything I could possibly do to replay you for your kindness?"

Luigi put his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Well, actually, I'm looking for a man named Mer-" Luigi gasped midsentence as he suddenly remembered what he had gone down the alley for in the first place. "WAIT, NO, THAT'S RIGHT, I WAS CHASING SOME GUY THAT JUST STOLE MY WALLET!"

The Yoshi hopped up and gasped in shock as well. "O-Oh dear, I was wondering why anyone would risk walking down one of these alley by themselves... Well, I mean, besides me... But oh my gosh, that's terrible, did you see what he looked like?"

Luigi nodded firmly, as there was no way he'd forget someone as gaudy looking as that Bandit was. "He was a Bandit wearing this awful, nasty, bright green outfit, carrying a matching ugly sack on his back! Did you happen to see him before you, uh, ran into those guys?"

The Yoshi shook her head sadly. "Oh, gosh, no, I'm sorry, those thugs had me cornered there, so I couldn't see if anyone passed by me... But hey, I think I may actually know the guy you're talking about! I mean, I know who he is! You just came from the airport, right?"

Luigi nodded again, causing the Yoshi to frown and shake her head.

"Oh, yeah, that definitely sounds like the work of Snatch Grabberson. He's a particularly infamous thief in this city who likes to prey on unsuspecting out-of-towners." Putting her hand to her lip, the Yoshi's shoulders slumped. "Um, unfortunately, if you lost sight of him, then I wouldn't count on getting your wallet back anytime soon, since the reason he's so infamous is because he seems to just vanish into thin air, no one has ever managed to catch him. Or at least if they have, they haven't lived to tell the tale."

Luigi let out a wail of shock, then slumped to the ground in defeat.

"...Just great. I'm only in this city for five minutes, and already I'm flat broke, probably lost, _AND_ I'm hungry..."

The Yoshi's frown deepened, as she walked over to Luigi and placed a reassuring hand upon his shoulder.

"Yeah, this city tends to do that to people..." The Yoshi's expression suddenly brightened, as she continued. "Oh, but hey, I can't do much about the flat broke and hungry parts, but I do think I know how I can return the favor to you!"

Luigi looked up at the Yoshi in curiosity. "Huh? How's that?"

"Well, as it just so happens, I know these streets like the back of my glove." the Yoshi explained. "In fact, that's the only reason I bothered coming down here, because it's a shortcut to where I'm headed. Boy, I should've learned my lesson with shortcuts in this city by now... But um, anyhow, I have a photographic memory of pretty much anywhere I've ever been, so if you're looking for something or someone in this city, I'm sure I can help you find it!"

Luigi hopped up in excitement at pretty much the first piece of good news that he had heard all day. "Oh wow, really? That'd be great!"

"Yeah, I-" the Yoshi began, suddenly cutting herself off and smacking herself in the forehead. "Wait, good grief, I'm such a ditz, I haven't even properly introduced myself, what is wrong with me? Right, well, my name is Yassie, I'm a film student, just one of the many countless fools who came to this city with big dreams, only to have them come crashing down around me like so many falling stars. I was promised the world, like so many others, only to realize those promises were nothing but big, fat, lies... Now I just want to go home, get as far away from this place as I possibly can, but I'm kind of stuck here, as it so happens, so that too is nothing more than a pipe dream at this point... But oh my gosh, what am I doing, you don't care about my dumb little sob story, excuse my rambling."

Luigi shook his head sympathetically in response. "Oh, no, I understand, I know what it's like to have unfulfilled dreams, believe me... Er, I'm awful sorry though, but I'm kind of in a hurry, so maybe we can sit down and talk some other time... Oh, but, my name is Luigi, though I'm probably better known as that guy who happens to be Mario's brother, and-"

Luigi was cut of by the dramatic gasp that Yassie let out, her eyes bulging out as Luigi said his name.

"Oh. My. GOSH. I THOUGHT I recognized you!" she exclaimed, giving Luigi a star-struck look that he was usually only used to seeing his brother get. Yassie continued, squealing and hopping up and down in utter excitement. "You're totally the real Luigi, the honest to goodness real life Super Luigi!"

Luigi was taken aback with shock at Yassie's sudden outburst. "W-What? You actually... Know who I am...?"

"OF COURSE I do!" Yassie said, rolling her eyes as if Luigi was kidding. "I mean, you're Super Luigi, for Star Haven's sake! I've read the novels of your adventure in the Waffle Kingdom at least a hundred times each, and I must've seen the movie version a hundred times more!"

"W-Wow, really...?!" Luigi exclaimed, not at all used to hearing such positive things said about him.

"Yeah, and man oh man, that Zip Toad looks _NOTHING AT ALL LIKE YOU_ , what in the world were they _thinking_ casting him in your role?!" Yassie cried, stating the fact as if it were the most heinous thing that's ever happened.

Luigi scratched the back of his head, not quite sure of the answer to that himself. "Uh, well, I wouldn't know, they didn't really consult with me on the movie at all, and I didn't even get any royalties for-"

Yassie let out another overly dramatic gasp as her hands clasped her cheeks. "Oh my gosh, that's terrible! That's awful! How could they do something like that to a hero like you?!"

"H-Hero? L-Like me?" Luigi stuttered, not sure if he had heard Yassie correctly.

"Yeah!" Yassie said, nodding emphatically. "Starsway WISHES it could come up with action heroes as awesome and heroic as you! I mean, the way you braved tooth and nail, went through the fire and the flames, all to save some lady you didn't even know!"

"O-Oh, w-well, I try not to think about that part any-"

"And how **_DARE_** that Princess Eclair pick that awful Chestnut King over you?! You, who went through so much just to rescue her!"

"W-Well, he _was_ kind of her fiance before he got turned into a-"

"That's no excuse at all! Did HE ever head into the heart of an active volcano to defeat a giant, vicious, two-headed, fire-breathing snake for her? Did HE ever scale a horrible, so-called unbreachable, danger-ridden plateau for her?"

"I dunno, I didn't get much of a chance to talk to him before I-"

"No, no he didn't! All he did was sit around in his dumb little tower, being a hideous, malformed monster, while you were off risking life and limb for her! And for what? What is the thanks you get for putting yourself through such a perilous, arduous journey?!"

"Well, I got this really spiffy medal that's shaped like a-"

"A FAT LOAD OF **NOTHING** , THAT'S WHAT! It's the biggest, most tremendous miscarriage of justice I've ever heard of, is what it is! The hero should ALWAYS get the girl in the end, not get stuck being the third wheel who only gets a consolation prize saying 'thanks for trying'!"

"Oh, no, that's no big deal, I'm used to-"

"A TRAVESTY! AN OUTRAGE! IT'S...! IT'S...!"

Luigi backed up slightly from Yassie, who was breathing so viciously that she was beginning to hyperventilate. Seeing the look of worry on Luigi's face, Yassie seemingly snapped back to reality, calming down and blinking dumbfoundedly, as if a switch has went off in her mind. She looked back at Luigi in embarrassment, realizing she had probably just made herself out to be the creepiest, most overly-obsessive fangirl imaginable.

"Um, w-whoops, sorry, I... I tend to get worked up over silly things like that..." she stated, laughing awkwardly. "But like, oh my gosh, I just can't believe I'm meeting the hero of my favorite novels and movie in the flesh! And not only that, but I was literally SAVED by him, too! I... I'm not dreaming right now, am I?"

Luigi shook his head. "Er, I don't think so, no."

"Ah, wow..." Yassie marveled once more at her hero, before suddenly remember just how big of a fool she had just made of herself. "Oh, but... **_MY GOSH, THAT WAS EMBARRASSING_**! Just... Pretend that little scene never happened, okay?"

Luigi nodded in understanding, just happy to know he had such a devoted fan at all.

"Right, so, you were saying you needed to find someone, correct?" Yassie asked, trying to remember where the conversation had left off before she had her little freak out.

Luigi nodded again. "Oh yeah, see, I got this letter from... Uh, well, it kind of just appeared, but anyways, some guy named Merlon sent it, saying he needed my bro to come meet him because... Well, I don't really know. Whatever it is, it's so bad that he had to send a plane ticket for my brother so he could talk to him about it in person. Unfortunately, my brother is kinda sorta... Busy at the moment, and seeing no other course of action, I took it upon myself to come in his place, since I couldn't really _not_ respond to it given how urgent the contents seemed to be."

"Oh, wow..." Yassie remarked. "That doesn't sound very good."

"Yeah, I know." Luigi said grimly. "I just hope this Merlon guy doesn't get too mad when I show up instead of my brother, he seemed pretty adamant that only Mario could help..."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Yassie said, waving her hand. "I'm sure he'll understand if you explain the situation to him. Besides, you're Luigi, surely once he recognizes you as Mario's brother, he'll have no qualms about it! After all, one Mario Brother is as good as the other, right?"

Luigi's shoulders slumped and he let out a small sigh. "Er, I'm not so sure about that..."

"Oh, stop it, you'll be fine." Yassie said, giving Luigi a reassuring smile. "Now, come on, I've had just about enough of this dingy old alleyway for one lifetime, how's about we head over to Merlon's place?"

Luigi nodded in agreement, but then cocked his head to the side and frowned. "Didn't you say you had somewhere to go, though? I don't want to make you go out of your way or anything."

"Oh, no, don't be silly!" Yassie said, shaking her head. "This is MUCH more important than what I was going to do, I'll just get that done after I get you to Merlon's house. They're in the same direction anyways, so it's totally cool!"

"Oh, okay." Luigi said, glad he wasn't being too much of a bother. "Well, uh, I guess I'll follow you, then!"

"Oh, hey, actually, why don't you just hop on my back?" Yassie suggested. "I am a Yoshi, after all, and if there's one thing I'm good at besides dispensing gobs of useless information, it's getting around quickly!"

"Er, well, sure, why not." Luigi said, shrugging his shoulders as he walked around to Yassie's side and hopped on her back, being careful not to pull on her camera bag.

"Ooh, that's right, I kind of... Lost my saddle, so the ride might be kind of bumpy, sorry..." Yassie said, glancing back at Luigi regretfully. "But hey, it'll only take a few minutes to get there, so it shouldn't be too bad!"

"Okay, whatever you sa- _AAAAAAAAAAAY_!" Luigi cried, Yassie having taken off without warning, exiting the alley the way Luigi had come in, and quickly blending in with the huge crowds of people that packed the streets, taxiing Luigi towards his destination as fast as her fleet feet could take her.


	4. Prologue, Part 3: A Vision Of Darkness

"Alright, we're here!"

"Th-Thank goodness..."

Luigi stumbled off of Yassie's back once she had finally stopped, wobbling back and forth queasily as he tried to regain his balance.

"See, what'd I say, we got here in no time flat!" Yassie said with a smile, which quickly morphed into a frown once she saw the condition Luigi was in. "Er, perhaps I was a bit _too_ fast...?"

"Mama mia..." Luigi groaned. "T-That was more than a 'little bit' bumpy... I appreciate the ride, but I think I'll just walk from now on..."

"Ooh, sorry..." Yassie said in embarrassment. "I guess that's why my parents told me to never forget my saddle..."

"Well, I guess all that matters is that we're here." Luigi said, giving Yassie a small smile of reassurance once his head had stopped spinning. Turning to look at his destination, he let out a whistle of astonishment once he caught sight of the building that no doubt had to be Merlon's house; a giant, mysteriously shimmering crystal ball that flashed and cycled with cloudy, pastel colors, with a door built into the side of it. "Wow, and I thought the Merlon that lived in Toad Town had a crazy looking place..."

"Oh, yeah, Merlon's house is one of the most easily recognizable landmarks in all of New Appelle." Yassie proclaimed. "He's renowned as the city's only trustworthy fortune teller, people come to him all the time when they have a problem and they can't figure out how to get past it."

"Yeah, sounds like a Merlon, alright." Luigi said. "Let's just hope he's in an understanding mood today..."

"Oh, relax, like I said, I'm sure he'll understand!" Yassie said, patting Luigi on the back encouragingly.

Taking a moment to psyche himself up, Luigi took out Merlon's letter and let out a deep breath, then marched up to Merlon's door and got ready to knock on it. As he brought his hand up, however, the door swung open from the other side, startling Luigi.

"Yes, yes, what do you want?" came the agitated voice of the person on the other side, a blue robed Shaman with a large white mustache and beady yellow eyes shining from within the darkness of his purplish-blue robe that Luigi instantly knew was Merlon. He looked at Luigi and Yassie impatiently. "I'm expecting a _very_ important visitor today, so I'm afraid I don't have much time for either of you at the moment. If you need my services, then you'll have to come back later."

"W-Wait!" Luigi cried, sticking his foot in Merlon's door before he could close it. "Th-That's me, I'm the one you're expecting!"

" _You?_ " Merlon asked, shaking his head at Luigi firmly. "My boy, I'm quite certain that you're off your rocker, you're not the person that I'm waiting for at all. Now, if you'll excu-" Merlon stopped mid-sentence and uttered a small gasp as he caught sight of the letter that Luigi clutched in his hand. Narrowing his eyes at Luigi, his voice took on a sudden change in tone for the worse. "What are you doing with that letter? The only person who should have that letter is-"

"My brother, Mario." Luigi finished, getting ready to explain his situation to Merlon. He didn't get a chance to, however, as Merlon immediately flew at him in a rage.

" ** _YOU FOOL!_** " Merlon bellowed, grabbing Luigi by the collar and shaking him like a rag doll.

Yassie cringed at the sound of Merlon's less-than-pleased voice. "Then again, I've been known to be mistaken about these kinds of things in the past..."

"You great green buffoon, do you have any idea what you've done?" Merlon roared, as he shook the man frantically, glaring at him in a not at all understanding way. "You've doomed us all, that's what you've done!"

Luigi cried out in shock. "W-What?! B-But I, I, I...!"

"I asked for a Mr. Mario, did I not? You do realize that tampering with other people's mail is a federal offense, right?" Merlon said, not letting Luigi get a word in as he released him, causing him to crumple to the ground in a heap. "Why, I have half a mind to turn you in to the authorities myself. But there's hardly much of a point in doing so now that the world is doomed, now is there?"

"B-But I am a Mr. Mario, _Luigi_ Mario!" Luigi cried, looking at Merlon pleadingly. "Please, let me explain!"

"There's nothing TO explain!" Merlon scoffed. "I asked for a hero, not a zero! You have no business meddling in your brother's affairs, you mustachioed moron!"

"Hey, Luigi's not a zero!" Yassie exclaimed in indignation, butting in to the one sided conversation. "Haven't you read his books? He's Super Luigi, he's already proven he's more than capable, so show him some respect!"

"Bah, anything that would 'star' him is obviously nothing more than dime store trash." Merlon stated, waving his hand dismissively at Yassie's claims. "What I need is the real deal, the genuine article, the one and only Super Mario, NOT some kind of second rate copy that can be manhandled like a piece of paper by an old man!"

"Well, TOUGH, because that's what you get!" Yassie said firmly, before hastily correcting herself. "Er, w-wait, that is to say, he isn't a 'second rate copy', I-I meant... Ooh, just listen, you old fart! The only reason he came here at all is because his brother was busy and couldn't be reached, so if anyone's to blame, it's YOU for not sending your dumb little letter sooner! Luigi could've just not come at all, but no, he isn't like that, he has more principles than that! Are you saying you'd rather have had that happen and have _NO ONE_ here to answer your call?"

Merlon looked back and forth from Yassie to Luigi in consternation for a good minute, then finally grumbled. "...Come inside, the last thing I want to do is make a scene. You never know who's watching..."

"Well, it's a bit late for that." Yassie replied, glancing around at all the curious bystanders that had started to gather to watch the spectacle. "But whatever you say. Come on, Luigi!" Grinning triumphantly at Luigi, she followed Merlon inside his house.

"H-Huh?" Luigi stuttered, still dazed and on the ground where Merlon had left him. "Oh, r-right!" Jumping up, he quickly shuffled in after the other two, the door closing itself mysteriously behind him.

Inside, Merlon's house looked remarkably different from its exterior, appearing to be a regular, cozy house, albeit one with fortune telling instruments scattered about. It also, strangely enough, seemed to be at least twice as large on the inside as it was on the outside, a fact which baffled Luigi tremendously. He didn't have much time to dwell on it, however, as Merlon had begun to speak, still not sounding very happy with the way things were.

"What a fine mess this is..." Merlon stated, shaking his head in displeasure. "I should have foreseen this coming and just sent the letter to Mario directly..."

"Or you could've just used email." Yassie said flatly. "That's generally more reliable in this day and age, you know."

"Bah, you sound like my grandchildren." Merlon stated, folding his arms stubbornly. "I fail to see how something as ridiculous as that is any more reliable than my magic!"

"Um, isn't the situation we're in now kinda proof?" Luigi asked, earning him another scowl from Merlon.

Merlon grumbled in annoyance at the suggestion. "Hmph... Be that as it may, there are more important things to worry about right now. I can already tell it's going to be completely hopeless, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to at least tell you guys what's going on, since we're all doomed now anyways."

"Oh, can it with the doom and gloom stuff already, will ya?" Yassie said, folding her arms and rolling her eyes at Merlon's overly-pessimistic words. "Just tell us what's so important already!"

"Right, well, I had this speech all ready and tailored for Mario, so now I'm going to have to go back through and say 'your brother' instead of 'you' the whole way through, what a pain..." Merlon muttered, shaking his head in disgust before giving Luigi a serious look. "But, anyways... As I stated in my letter, last night, I had a vision. A prophetic vision, if you will, because as you may know, those of my race have such visions a lot, and the things they see within very often come true more times than not."

"Yes, yes, get on with it, already!" Yassie said impatiently, not wanting to waste time if the situation was really as urgent as Merlon made it out to be.

"My, aren't we rude." Merlon huffed, narrowing his eyes at Yassie before continuing. " _Anyways_ , in my vision, I saw a great calamity, the likes of which the Mushroom Kingdom, and the very world itself, has never seen. And yes, I know that's saying quite a lot, after all of the things that your brother has dealt with these past few years. No, this was a far more sinister, horrific fate than anything else that has threatened our beautiful kingdom and planet in the past. The very existence of life itself appeared to be unraveling, mountains melting, seas tearing, the sky falling, all thanks to the actions of a strange, shadowy group, reality seemingly bending and shaping itself to fulfill their every whim. My darkest fears were confirmed when I saw the artifacts that they had in their possession, the only things I know of that could cause such horrifying things to occur..."

"...Well? What were they?" Yassie asked after a moment, Merlon having stopped and hung on his last word.

"Hold your horses, I'm _trying_ to build dramatic tension here!" Merlon snapped, eliciting another eye roll from Yassie. "But yes, only one group of objects did I know of that could alter the very fabric of reality itself... The Dream Casters."

"The Dream Casters?" Yassie repeated incredulously. "You mean those mystical stars from the old wives tales that supposedly can make any dream come true? I thought those were a myth!"

"Oh, they're no myth, my girl, far from it." Merlon said, shaking his head grimly. "I saw quite clearly what they were in my vision, and I have no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the objects were the Dream Casters."

"But how could objects as powerful as they supposedly are have existed for so long with no one being able to find them?" Yassie asked doubtfully. "And how can you be so certain that they're what you saw in your vision if no one has ever actually SEEN them?"

"Good questions." Merlon said, nodding in understanding of Yassie's skepticism. "But who's to say that they haven't already been found? Perhaps they have been, and the people who own them simply do not know of what they truly are. As for your second question, it's quite obvious. After all, what other group of seven star-shaped objects do you know of that can warp reality to match the dreams of those who hold them, no matter how twisted they may be?"

"Honestly? A lot, knowing this kingdom." Yassie said, instantly reminded of about a dozen other groups of mythical stars that she had read about over the years. "But then again, I'm not sure I've ever heard of any others that claim to be as powerful as the Dream Casters..."

"Um, pardon me, but what exactly ARE these Dream Caster things?" Luigi asked, having never heard of the things before in his life. "Do you mean to tell me that whoever owns these things can really make their dreams come true? Like say, for instance, if I had a dream that I was eating a big plate of delicious spaghetti, and then it turned into a monster and tried to eat ME, then that would come true? Because uh, I've kind of had my share of dream-related shenanigans for one lifetime as it is..."

Merlon sighed in disgust at Luigi's question. "Ugh, no. Bad question. VERY bad question. Not those kind of dreams, you simpleton, the other kind of dreams, the kind you have growing up, like dreaming to become an astronaut, or dreaming to have a million coins some day, those kind of dreams."

"Huh?" Luigi scratched his head, Merlon's description of the Dream Casters sounding all too familiar to countless other things that his brother had encountered during his many adventures. "But, aren't those just wishes? There are so many other groups of wish granting stars in the world, what makes these ones so much more powerful than any of them?"

"Because, dreams aren't the same things as wishes, as similar as they may seem." Merlon said. "Wishes are things that happen instantaneously, dreams are not. Dreams are much more powerful things than simple wishes, though many of them tend to be just as selfish and stupid as the majority of wishes are. The main difference, however, is that dreams are things that you can't simply wish for, they're things that take time to come true, things that the Star Spirits or whoever else cannot simply grant and that you have to work towards and put time and effort into making happen. Like, for instance, say your dream was to become the owner of some huge company, you couldn't just merely wish for it to happen; the Star Rod can't create an entire company just for you to own, let alone one that's considered huge and profitable in the eyes of the world. After all, if it would have just magically appeared one day, then how would anyone know about it? However, the Dream Casters work differently. They can easily help you achieve your dreams, because they will subtly warp reality and make it so that you get all the breaks, have everything go your way, all the way until your company has become the huge, multi-million coin business you dreamt it to be, because this way, the company and its growth naturally, gradually occurred, and people will actually know of its existence. Likewise, you can't just wish to become an astronaut, because your co-workers would have no idea who you were and no organizations would have it on record that you're actually an astronaut. With the Dream Casters, you would get all the opportunities in the world to become an astronaut, even if you had absolutely no way to do so before hand, and everything would go right for you until you became what you dream to be. What I'm saying is, the Dream Casters can grant things that no mere Star Spirit can, no matter how farfetched or ridiculous they may seem, as long as you have the will and patience to wait for them to come true."

"Mama mia..."

"The thing about the Dream Casters, though, is that the more you have, the more powerful their effects are." Merlon continued. "This is likely why no one has ever noticed any changes in reality as a result of them, as I doubt there are more than one of them in any given location, and even though they're plenty powerful on their own, any changes they would cause would be very subtle and drawn out over time, and they'd probably be incapable of casting any of the crazier dreams. If they were all brought together, however... Well, reality itself would kneel to you and your whims, no matter how horrible, selfish, or literally impossible they may be. Of course, this is all according to legend, so they may work differently than that. But after what I saw them do in my vision, I can't help but believe that every word of the legend is true."

"So basically, what you're saying is, this shadowy group or whatever somehow got ahold of these things and is using them to destroy reality?" Yassie asked, not particularly looking forward to the answer.

"No, not exactly." Merlon said, shaking his head. "My visions are never of the present, they're always of an event that _may_ happen in the future. However, seeing as the future hasn't happened yet, that means there is a chance that it can be altered or averted completely. And that's where the rest of my vision comes into play, the part that was so important for your brother to have known about. You see, after I had that first harrowing vision, I immediately had another one, this one of a man whom I'm certain was Mario, the resemblance was uncanny. This time, HE was the one who had possession of the Dream Casters, having traveled far and wide alongside an assortment of companions to collect them, and he used them to fight and defeat the shadowy group. Except... Something seemed 'off' about this vision... I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about it definitely seemed wrong. It was almost as if someone had altered or interfered with my vision in some way."

"How is that possible?" Yassie asked in astonishment. "How could anyone else have even known you were having a vision, let alone have been able to alter it?"

"I'm not sure how anyone could have known about it, but I've heard tales from my ancestors that those who have a very powerful grasp on certain forms of magic are capable of invading such visions and changing them to their will." Merlon explained, letting out a sigh that showed he wasn't particularly aware of how it worked either. "I will say though, that shortly before and after I had my vision, I had that distinct, paranoid feeling of being watched by somebody, and it only makes me more convinced that someone somehow altered my vision. Why, and how, I don't know, but its made me wary to trust anyone with this information, seeing as how they could be affiliated with whoever it was that altered it, likely someone from the shadowy group itself. What I do know, however, is that your brother was the only one who could prevent this all from happening. Without him, the world is doomed."

"No it's not!" Yassie said emphatically, standing up from her seat in protest. "If what you say is true about your vision being messed with, then who's to say the whole part about Mario wasn't made up entirely? Maybe they just WANT you to think that Mario is the only one who can stop them, you ever think of that? And if that's the case, then they'll NEVER expect Luigi to be the one to stop them! Come on, you obviously must have _SOME_ sort of faith in him, you wouldn't have trusted us enough to tell us all of this otherwise!"

"No, the only reason I told you two all of this is simply because I know trying to do anything is fruitless at this point, as I said." Merlon rebutted stubbornly. "Without Mario, the Dream Casters are free to fall into the hands of whoever those freaks are, and we're powerless to stop them."

"No, you're wrong!"

Merlon and Yassie both cast surprised looks at Luigi, who had stood up from his own chair and was staring strongly at Merlon.

"Just because my brother isn't here doesn't mean it's hopeless, he's not the only one who can get things done, you know!" Luigi stated, shaking his head sternly before pointing to himself with his thumb. "I'm here, and I can do _ANYTHING_ my brother is capable of doing, including saving the world! I'll collect those Dream Casters before the bad guys can and keep reality from splitting apart, just you watch me!"

"Yeah, you tell him, Luigi!" Yassie cheered, happy to see her hero finally showing the braveness that he was so famous for... In the books, at least.

"Hmm... Well, you're certainly deluded enough, I'll give you that." Merlon said, folding his arms and staring back at Luigi, whose confidence remained unwavered. "...I suppose I really don't have a choice. You're apparently the only chance we have left, stars help us all... But fine, so be it. If you truly think you can fill in for your brother, then who am I to stop you? Perhaps I'm wrong, and you truly will be able to save us all... Though I highly doubt that. Still, it's better than nothing, I guess."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." Luigi said dryly.

"Why are you so negative for, anyways?" Yassie chimed in, thoroughly annoyed by the shaman's constant pessimism at this point. "What makes you so sure that your first vision is impossible to stop without Mario?"

"You would be too if you'd seen what I had." Merlon said darkly. "This shadowy group, I have never felt such evil in my life as that I did radiating off of them."

"Can you, uh, tell us anymore about them?" Luigi asked hesitantly, wanting to know more about his enemy but at the same time, not really sure if he wanted to hear about them at all.

"If I could, I wouldn't be calling them a shadowy group, now would I?" Merlon responded dismissively. "I couldn't make out anything about them, I saw distorted eyes and evil grins shining in the darkness and that's it. It's almost as if they were blocking me from being able to recognize them as anything more than dark, shadowy blobs. All I know is, whoever it is that we're dealing with, they're very powerful, very evil beings, so if you're really planning on going through with this, you'd best be ready for the fight of your life."

Luigi looked from Merlon to Yassie, both of whom stared back at him expectantly. Letting out a deep breath, Luigi nodded and stuck his fist out. "I'm ready for anything. I'll show you and everyone else that I'm just as much of a hero as my brother!"

"For all of our sakes, I hope you're right." Merlon sighed, rubbing his temples wearily. "By the way..." he stated, turning his attention back to Yassie. "I don't believe I caught your name, what exactly are you doing with our, er, 'hero' here? Would you happen to be a traveling companion of his?"

"Oh, no, I was just showing him to your place, he saved me from getting mugged, so I figured it was the least I could do in return." Yassie explained. "My name is Yassie, sir, I've come to you a few times over the past couple years, but I guess you get so many customers that you wouldn't remember anyone in particular's face."

Merlon took a moment to study Yassie before speaking. "Hmm... Ah, yes, I do remember you. You're that film student, the one with the steadily dropping expectations of what you wanted me to see for you, correct?"

"U-Um, yes sir, th-that would be me..." Yassie replied, surprised that Merlon remembered her but not too thrilled to be reminded of the nature of her past visits to him.

"Right, and I do believe the last time you came to me, you were merely asking what to do to get out of this city, hmm?"

"Y-Yes sir, that's right..."

"I believe I told you to ask me again later, if I'm not mistaken..." Merlon waited for Yassie's nod of confirmation before continuing. "Well, it's later. And as promised, I now know the way for you to leave this miserable place: follow this fool."

Yassie jumped up in shock at Merlon's suggestion. "W-What?! M-Me?!"

"Yes, 'y-you', you silly stuttering girl." Merlon repeated. "If he has any hopes of taking on these people and getting to the Dream Casters before them, he's not going to be able to do it alone. No, he's going to need all the help he can get, because if Mario required assistance in my vision, then this guy will probably need _at least_ three times as much."

"Jeez, would you stop that already?" Luigi said in annoyance.

"Right, right..." Merlon muttered, not particularly taking Luigi's words into consideration. "Anyhow, this is about as good of a chance as you're going to get to not only get out of here, dear girl, but to also fulfill the things that you had asked me to help you with in your earlier visits. Besides, you seem to know your way around a lot more than he does, and I'm afraid if I were to send him out alone, he'd be hopelessly lost within the hour."

"Oh gosh, I... I don't know what to say..." Yassie exclaimed, before looking at Luigi hopefully. "Would you really let me come with you, Luigi?"

Luigi shrugged and nodded in confirmation. "Sure, why not? I'm always happy to have company, doubly so if it helps you out too."

"Wow, that's..." Yassie's eyes filled with glee as she broke out into a huge grin, jumping into the air in celebration. "That's awesome! I can't believe it, I'm going to be going on an adventure with the **_REAL LIFE SUPER LUIGI_**! Oh, you won't regret this, Luigi, I swear!"

* * *

_**YASSIE JOINED THE PARTY!** _

_Yassie is a world-wise Yoshi with knowledge beyond her years, a keen filmmaker with a penchant for information. She can tell Luigi about any place, person, or object they encounter on their journey, even things that she should have absolutely no way of knowing about whatsoever, such as the personal information of random townsfolk in places she has never been to once in her life. In battle, she can use her Tattle ability and trusty camcorder to record and divulge an enemy's strengths and weaknesses to Luigi, or scramble some heads with an expertly aimed Egg Shot._

* * *

"Oh man, this is the best day ever!" Yassie exclaimed, still giddy with glee and unable to contain her enthusiasm. "Gosh, I can't believe I'm saying that when I was just getting mugged not even twenty minutes ago..."

"Yes, well, now that that's all settled, we should really stop wasting time and get down to business, shall we?" Merlon suggested, clearing his throat with a great 'harumph' to ensure he had Luigi and Yassie's undivided attention.

"Sounds good to me, but uh, how exactly are we gonna go about finding these things?" Luigi asked. "If they've been undiscovered for all this time, then how are we gonna know where to even begin looking for them?"

"Normally, you wouldn't, but as it just so happens, an old acquaintance of mine who has a home on the other side of town next to that abhorrently named 'Helping House' happens to have an odd fascination with the things, and luckily enough, I believe he is actually in New Appelle right now, conducting research on something or other. Hopefully, he'll be home, but you may have to knock loudly, he's usually so invested in whatever he happens to be working on at any given moment that he tends to drown out the world around him. But, if anyone would know where to go to look for the Dream Casters, it would most definitely be him."

"Oh, I think I know the place you're talking about, it's that weird looking building with all the machines built into it, right?" Yassie asked.

"That'd be it." Merlon said with a nod. "Now, don't let him scare you off, he has a reputation for being a bit, shall we say, 'eccentric', but there's no smarter mind in the Mushroom Kingdom, so I'm sure with all that he's researched about the blasted things, he'll have figured out some way of finding out their locations."

"I have this awful feeling that I may know this acquaintance of yours..." Luigi muttered, not sounding too enthused at all. Sighing, he shook his head and nodded. "But, I guess that doesn't really matter here nor there. Thanks for all the info, Merlon, I promise, we won't let you down!"

"I hope not, dear boy..." Merlon said, shaking his head solemnly. "If you ever happen to get lost or stuck on your journey, however, do feel free to come see me, I should be able to use my powers to help you. For a small fee, of course."

"Gotcha." Luigi said, giving Merlon a thumbs up in confirmation. Turning to Yassie, he put on his game face. "Ready to save the world, Yassie?"

"Yeah, you bet!" Yassie replied, nodding her head rapidly. "Come on, I know just where to go! And uh, don't worry, we can walk this time. That way, I can show you around the city while we're at it, since our destination is basically all the way on the other side of town anyways."

Luigi gave Yassie a nod. "Let's get going, then! Seeya Merlon!"

"Good luck, both of you." Merlon said to the two as they headed out his door, waving him goodbye behind them. Watching them disappear from his doorway, Merlon hung his head and sighed. "...Because boy, are you going to need it."

* * *

"Eee, I still can't believe this is happening!" Yassie squealed giddily as she walked alongside Luigi down the rather quiet for the city street that Merlon's house was on. "Going on an adventure with Super Luigi to save the world! This is so exciting!"

Luigi looked at Yassie in bemusement. He had to admit, her enthusiasm was rather infectious, to the point where he was even beginning to get excited about the prospect of saving the world, nevermind all the inherent danger that it would entail.

"What's it like, Luigi?" Yassie asked all of a sudden, causing Luigi a bit of confusion before she continued to clarify. "Going on adventures and saving the world, I mean. I've hardly ever been outside of New Appelle and my hometown, so this is all really new for me."

"Er, well, I dunno. It's pretty fun, I suppose." Luigi said, after taking a moment to think. "I mean, discounting all the horrible monsters and dangers you stumble into along the way. I have to admit, its been a while since I've done this kind of thing, usually Mario makes me stay at home to watch over the house."

"Aw, really?" Yassie asked disappointedly. "How come? I thought you guys went on adventures together all the time!"

Luigi coughed, not quite sure how to answer Yassie's question without making himself look bad. "Well, we used to, sure, but these days, Mario tends to leave me behind due to my, er, less than sterling reputation as... Well, a coward..."

"A coward?! _You_?!" Yassie exclaimed in shock, not believing Luigi's words. "How could anyone think someone like you is a coward, let alone your own brother?!"

"Uh, that's..." Luigi trailed off, rubbing his cap and sighing. He didn't want to ruin his reputation in the eyes of the seemingly only person on the planet who thought he was anything more than a yellow-bellied wimp, especially not if he was going to be traveling with her. Horrible memories of the way his old partners felt about him came creeping up and he had to quickly shake them away. Looking back up, he turned to Yassie and shrugged his shoulders, letting out a fake little laugh. "That's something I don't know, I guess someone who isn't a fan of mine must have spread some nasty rumors that just snowballed out of control. Rumors can be powerful things, after all."

"Jeez, that stinks!" Yassie said, before giving Luigi a reassuring look. "Don't worry, I'm sure once you save the world, those rumors will be put to rest but good!"

"H-Ha, yeah, I'm sure they will..." Luigi agreed, though not at all in a convincing manner. Thankfully, Yassie seemed oblivious to it, still caught up in her excitement, and so Luigi decided to quickly change the subject. "S-So, you said you're a film student or something, Yassie?"

"Huh?" Yassie, still off in her own little world of hype, let out a small gasp before snapping to attention and beaming proudly at Luigi. "Oh! Yeah, I'm studying to become a film maker, or at least, I was. I've always loved reading about the world, but I never got the chance to leave my home town for most of my life, so it was always my dream to be able to travel the world and record it all so that other people in my situation would be able to see it too. And so I saved up all my money and moved here once I was old enough, planning to create a documentary about living in the big city from the perspective of someone who had lived in a small, residential town their whole life as the first in a long line of films. Of course, being as naive as I was, I didn't realize that such a documentary would become the most depressing endeavor of my life. To make a long story short, things haven't gone the way I thought they would, and if I were to make the documentary I was planning on, no one would want to watch it because not one good thing happens in it at any point."

"Oh..." Luigi muttered, casting a sympathetic glance at Yassie.

"Oh, but don't worry!" Yassie said, speaking up before Luigi could apologize for bringing it up. "Like Merlon said, this is the PERFECT chance to turn my fortunes around! I mean, anyone can make a dumb ol' documentary about city life, but _NO ONE'S_ made a documentary about saving the world before! Just think, Luigi, if we really do save the world and I get it all on film, then _everyone_ will be able to see the real you!"

"Th-The real me...?" Luigi repeated, to which Yassie nodded her head happily. Luigi could merely wince at the thought of it, seeing as how his vision and Yassie's vision of the 'real' him were radically different creatures. Putting on another fake grin, Luigi sighed inwardly to himself once he realized just how difficult this journey was going to be.

"...Oh boy..."


	5. Prologue, Part 4: Taking A Detour

"So uh, you said you'd show me around a bit on the way there, Yassie?" Luigi asked, trying to change the subject to anything else at all other than himself as the duo continued to make their way westward.

"Oh yeah, of course!" Yassie said, nodding agreeably. "You won't find a better tour guide to show you around this city than me! So you just relax and let me show you all the, uh, 'wonderful' things this city has to offer. If you have any questions at any time, feel free to ask!"

"Okay..." Lugi muttered, a question already eating at his curiosity. "In that case, why is the sky so dark around here? There isn't a cloud in the sky, it's just... Slowly getting darker the more we walk this way..." Luigi let out a small shudder.

"Ah, that's actually one of the great mysteries of New Appelle." Yassie stated, before pointing at a huge, strange looking building a short ways off in the distance that reached high into the sky, higher than almost any of the other skyscrapers that dotted the city. However, unlike most of the skyscrapers, which all had much more modern looking facades, even the ones that had been standing for decades, this building's exterior was unlike anything Luigi had ever seen in real life. It looked like something straight out of some sort of bizarre science fiction movie about what buildings would look like in the future from the perspective of fifty years ago. The blue and yellow metal that made up almost the entirety of the building reflected dimly and eerily in the sunlight, and despite its enormous size, there did not appear to be a single window anywhere on it. There were, however, an incredible number of bright, flashing and blinking lights in many different colors that ran up and down the building that were clearly visible even in broad daylight under the darkened sky, making it look almost like a giant pop can pretending to be a Christmas tree. At the very tip top of the building, Luigi could make out a bright yellow star shaped structure, that he instantly remembered noticing in just about every single picture he'd ever seen of New Appelle.

"Haha, yeah, that's the reaction most people have when they see this thing up close for the first time." Yassie chuckled, stopping alongside Luigi as the plumber had involuntarily rooted himself in place to stare up at the bizarre building in awe.

"Mama mia..." Luigi muttered, unable to take his eyes off of the building. "What is this place? I swear I've seen it in almost every picture and TV show I've ever seen of this city, but I don't think I've ever actually heard anyone talk about it."

"Well, that's probably because most people choose to act like it doesn't even exist." Yassie said, drawing a look of confusion from Luigi. "It's called the Twinkle Tower, though it's generally known better these days by its more infamous moniker, the Terror Tower."

Luigi gulped. "T-T-T-T-Terror T-Tower? D-Do I even want to know why it's called that?"

"Well, it probably has something to do with all the vicious, wild monsters and criminals that roam its floors from top to bottom." Yassie stated, causing Luigi to jump up in shock.

"W-What?! Monsters and criminals?!" Luigi repeated in disbelief. "What in the world are they doing in there?"

Yassie shrugged. "No one knows. It was built about sixty or so years ago by the reclusive billionaire Tomithy Twinkle the 3rd, apparently spending over half of his fortune just to construct the thing. At the time, it was considered to be some sort of modern marvel and, ha, 'work of art', drawing visitors from all over the world who wanted to see it in person. Unfortunately, around a year or so after its construction, Twinkle suddenly shut the doors off from the public and locked himself up on the top floor, never to be seen again. No explanation was ever given, and he was already considered a wackjob as it was, so people just gradually forgot about the building. For whatever reason, however, around the same time that Twinkle closed the doors, the skies around the building started darkening in broad daylight, and they've been like that ever since. You can't even tell from far away, either, just when you're near the building itself, which just makes it all even creepier. No one even dared to come near the tower for decades, until about ten or so years ago when the famous TV reporter Anderson Koopa conducted an investigation of the building on live TV to try and solve its mysteries once and for all. Of course, all that did was add more mysteries, as that was when people first discovered that it was infested with monsters."

Luigi let out a shudder. "W-Why hasn't anyone tried doing anything about it? Surely it's not safe for such a place to be standing in the middle of such a great big city full of people!"

"Actually, that's another weird thing about it, as if it needed anything else." Yassie began, shaking her head. "For whatever reason, the monsters inside never leave the building, or if they do, they do it when absolutely no one is looking, which would have to be quite a feat in this city. They only bother people who come into the building itself, and if the stories are to be believed, they just get stronger and stronger the higher the floor you're on. No one has ever gotten any further than the fourties and survived to tell about it, at least no one with a shred of credibility."

"H-How many floors are there?" Luigi asked, gazing back up at the star shaped protruberance that capped the building.

"A hundred, with Twinkle's personal living quarters at the very top." Yassie answered. "You wouldn't even believe the amount of rumors that have been started about the place, some people even claim that Twinkle is still alive and waiting at the top floor for someone to make it through to him so he can give them his entire fortune. Of course, he'd be about 170 years old now if that were the case, and he was a notorious skinflint when he was alive, so he'd never willingly give even a cent of his money to anyone. It's stupid rumors like that that cause so many people to go missing in the building in a vain attempt to reach the top, never to see the light of day ever again, seemingly joining the ranks of the monsters inside. Pretty much the most prevalant rumor about the place is that it drives those who enter it insane, but you'd have to be absolutely mad to go in there in the first place... But hey, don't worry about it, Luigi, there's no way we'd ever have to go anywhere near the place, unless there's a Dream Caster in there somewhere. But what are the odds of that?"

"...Painfully high, now that you've said that..." Luigi whimpered.

"Oh, stop it, don't tell me you're THAT superstitious!" Yassie said, folding her arms and giving Luigi a look of disapproval. "You know what, let's just forget all about it, we still have somewhere to get to, don't we?"

"O-Oh right..." Luigi muttered, nodding his head eagerly as he began following Yassie towards their destination once again, all too happy to forget about Twinkle Tower. Suddenly, a thought entered Luigi's mind. "Hey, wait, didn't you say you had someplace you had to be, Yassie?"

"Huh? I did?" Yassie asked in confusion.

"Yeah, you said you had something to do that was in the same direction as Merlon's house, and that you'd get it done after you showed me to his place." Luigi reminded her, not wanting to cause her any trouble.

"Oh, well..." Yassie stopped momentarily as she muttered to herself under her breath, trying to remember what it was that she was doing before she had met up with Luigi. A few seconds later, however, she merely shrugged her shoulders and continued on her way. "Like I said then, this whole deal is MUCH more important than whatever it was I was doing, and I'm sure whatever it is can wait until I have some free time. So don't worry about it, Luigi!"

"Er, okay, if you say so..." Luigi said, not entirely as convinced as Yassie was.

"Anyways, look, we're coming up on the most famous part of town, the Circle!" Yassie said in excitement, as she pointed ahead of her. They were beginning to enter back into a much more heavily populated part of the city, but Luigi could still make out a particularly neon area where Yassie had pointed. "You know what the Circle is, right?"

"Uh..." Luigi scratched his head as he struggled to remember anything he had heard about New Appelle before. "That's... The city's entertainment hub, right? Where all those theaters and fancy shmancy restaurants and stuff are?"

"Yup, that's it!" Yassie said in confirmation. "All we gotta do is pass through there, and our destination will be right on the other side!"

"Oh, okay." Luigi said, happy to know the trip wouldn't be too time consuming, as he already disliked walking around such a crowded, busy place. He quickly frowned however, as he noticed just how packed the streets and sidewalks in front of them were, their movement slowing down to a crawl. "Uh, are you sure we're gonna be able to get through, though...?"

"Of course, why wouldn't w-" Yassie began, not looking where she was going as she walked straight into the back of a big, burly looking blue man wearing a suit and a pair of sunglasses, which is also what most of the other people who were standing in front of the duo looked like, strangely enough.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I-"

"Hey, watch where you're walkin', ya putz!" the blue man growled, shooting an intimidating glare Yassie's way. "Don't even THINK you're gonna cut in line!"

"Line?" Yassie repeated quizzically as she rubbed her nose in pain. "What line? The whole street is packed, how do you call that a line?"

"We can call it whatever we want, toots!" the man said menacingly. "And no matter what you wanna call it, you ain't gettin' through!"

"But we just need to get to the other side!" Yassie pleaded, trying to find even the smallest gap in the group of horrifically muscled, suit wearing goons that blocked the road off entirely. "The fate of the world rests on our shoulders, for crying out loud!"

"Tough luck then, kid, guess you'll have to take the long way around!" the man said, sneering in delight at Yassie and Luigi's plight.

"Jeez, you're the biggest jerk I've ever met!" Yassie stated indignantly, which only seemed to please the man more. "What are you freaks doing here, anyways?"

"Why, we're here for the Legitimate Businessman's Association's annual septic worker's convention, of course!" the man explained, all too casually. "As you can see, it's a VERY popular event, and until we can all get in, you and everyone else are just gonna have to wait!"

"That's... That's..." Yassie began, practically fuming as she struggled to figure out the perfect insult to give the man. Luigi, not wanting at all to get in another fight so soon, let alone against such a beast of a man, quickly stepped in before Yassie could speak.

"H-Hey, I'm a plumber, th-that's a septic worker, right?" Luigi asked, trying to sound as polite and friendly as possible. "C-Can't I get through, at least? And uh, bring my 'assistant' along with me?"

The man stared at Luigi for a moment before bursting out into obnoxious laughter. "Ha, yeah right, pal, that's a good one! You don't look anything LIKE a plumber! And even if you were one, where's your toolbox, huh?"

"Where's your's?" Luigi countered, drawing to attention the fact that the man nor any of his clones didn't seem to be carrying anything either. Nor did they look like septic workers in any way, shape, or form. Hearing this, the man simply glowered at Luigi.

"Oh, I don't think you WANT to see where mine is, pally." the man said, puffing his chest up and towering over Luigi. "That'd probably cause you a considerable amount of pain, and I don't think you or your little 'assistant' there would like that very much, now would you?"

"Er..." Luigi glanced at Yassie out of the corner of his eye, who still seemed to be fumingly angry, and then back at the man, who looked about ready to turn the two into dogfood. Plastering a horribly insincere smile on his face, Luigi nervously spoke back up. "I-I think taking the long way sounds like a great idea, l-let's go Yassie!"

Without giving Yassie or the man a chance to say anything further, Luigi grabbed Yassie by the wrist and hastily dragged her away from the scene, not stopping until the terrifying group were out of sight.

"Ooh, I can't BELIEVE those jerks!" Yassie shouted once they were out of earshot. "Who does they think they are, blocking the busiest street in the whole city and telling people they can't get through?!"

"You know, I don't think those guys are really septic workers..." Luigi said, shaking his head.

"No kidding!" Yassie said, scoffing in disbelief. "Legitimate Businessman's Association my butt, it WOULD be those freaks pulling this kind of stunt!"

"I take it that they're not very legitmate at all, are they?" Luigi asked of the incredibly suspicious sounding association.

"They're about as legitimate as a wooden coin." Yassie said, shaking her head in disgust. "Their supposed headquarters is in the Circle, and it stands out like a sore thumb. Everyone who goes in and out of there is a suit and sunglasses wearing creep, and whatever it is that they're doing in there, it is DEFINITELY NOT legitimate in any way, shape, or form!"

"Maybe it's best if we avoid them, then..." Luigi said, not wanting anything to do with such a creepy sounding group. "We have enough on our plate as it is, after all."

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Yassie said bitterly, unhappy that she wasn't able to give them a piece of her mind, or of her boot. "I guess this way you'll be able to see a little bit more of the city, at least..."

And so the duo begrudgingly began walking back towards Merlon's house, passing by the sinister tower once more on the way there. Arriving back at Merlon's, the duo this time headed north, towards what Luigi thought had to be the world's biggest parking lot, with cars of all shapes and sizes packed in like sardines as far as the eye could see. Far off in the distance, Luigi could just make out an impressive looking stadium peeking out from amidst the sea of cars, the noise that emanated from it faintly audible even from where Luigi and Yassie were standing.

"Wow, I've never seen so many cars in one place before!" Luigi exclaimed, as he and Yassie began wading northeastward through the sea of cars. "Is that where the septic worker's convention is being held?"

"No, that's what the parking lot usually looks like when the Chomps are in town." Yassie said dismissively. "They're New Appelle's baseball team, and they're the most dominating team in the league by far. They've won the last seven championships, and they don't seem ready to slow down any time soon."

"Wow, that's... Impressive." Luigi stated, though to be honest, he didn't particularly keep that up to date with professional sports.

"Yeah, that's the Chomps." Yassie said, with more than a hint of disdain in her voice. "The league has only been in existence for a little over a hundred years, and they've won the championship 44 times now, so yeah, to say their fanbase is big would be an understatement. To go along with that, their stadium is the biggest in the league by far, with 200,000 seats that are routinely filled every single game."

"200,000?!" Luigi repeated in shock. "Mama mia, that's ridiculous!"

"Not as ridiculous as the prices, you don't even _WANT_ to know how much those people are having to pay for those seats." Yassie sighed in disgust.

"I take it you're not a very big fan of them, Yassie?" Luigi asked with a smirk, noticing the less than enthused body language that Yassie had been using.

"Nope." she replied, shaking her head firmly. "I just don't see the appeal in rooting for a team that never loses. Besides, I doubt I could afford to be a fan of them even if I wanted to be..."

With not much left to say on the subject, the two continued to make their way through the maze of a parking lot, and after what felt like an hour at least, finally made it through to the other side.

"Yeesh, remind me not to go this way anymore..." Yassie said in exasperation once the two had made it out. "I swear, how people even find their cars and get out of this mess with them, I'll never know."

As Yassie continued to mutter dirtily under her breath at the parking lot, Luigi took a moment to survey the area that they had arrived in. Amidst the ever-present throngs of people who crowded the streets, the most predominant landmark in the area was the giant blue and pink radio tower that, fittingly, towered over everything else in the vicinity. Nearby the tower, which bore the letters WONK in big vertical letters down its side, was a rather unassuming building with a gigantic sattelite dish and antenna mounted atop it, with a sign on its facade identifying it as the Mushroom Kingdom Broadcasting Network's television station. It seemed unusually busy compared to the places around it, with people rushing to and fro inside and out as if they were on fire, causing Luigi to figure that some sort of breaking news must be going on that had everyone up in a tizzy.

Besides those two places, the only other building of note in the area was a sprawling museum, with architecture that did not match anything else around it at all, looking as if it were the only remaining relic of an old city that had had a newer, flashier one built around it. A large, somewhat decrepit looking sign in front of it proudly proclaimed it to be the New Appelle Museum of Everything, though by 'everything', they apparently didn't count patrons, as Luigi couldn't see a single person anywhere near the museum itself, and its parking lot was comically empty compared to virtually everywhere else around it, with one lone, beat up car resting in the museum's single reserved parking space.

"So, what's the deal with these places, Yassie?" Luigi asked as the two began moving again, hoping to get Yassie's mind off of the accursed parking lot that she was still cursing.

"Huh? Oh, right, sorry for the ranting..." Yassie said in slight embarrassment, before clearing her throat and putting her tour guide voice back on. "Ahem... Well, as you can see, this is the city's main information hub, where all the newsworthy events from around the city and elsewhere get processed and delivered to the eager, waiting eyes and ears of New Appleians everywhere. Or at least, I'm sure that's what it _USED_ to be like. These days, MKBN spends more time broadcasting their dumb reality shows than anything actually worth watching, and the radio station recently passed ownership to this wackjob that used to live in a sewer in an even worse city than this who rambles on and on about pointless things and utter nonsense like pressing imaginary buttons to do things that would break the laws of reality. People seem to love him though, so go figure. As for the museum, they've been down on business as of late, as no one really seems to want to go to places like it anymore, rather, they just staying home and look the exhibits up on the internet. It's such a pleasant, peaceful place, though, since there's never anyone inside, and the curator is just the nicest old man, you should totally check it out sometime if we ever have the chance, Luigi. I've heard the curator is trying to open a new exhibit to drum up some more business, so who knows, we might be able to help him out!"

"Sure, if we ever have time." Luigi said agreeably, as the duo continued on their way east, Yassie gushing on and on about the museum the whole way. Soon enough, they had made their way to the next part of town, which was easily dominated by the presence of the city's main train station.

"Ah, the train station, the very first place I ever set foot in in New Appelle." Yassie said reminiscingly, before letting out a heavy sigh. "Oh, if only I could somehow talk to my past self and convince her not to get off here... Not that she would have listened to me anyways, but still... Well, regardless of my dumb little whining, the train station still sees a fair amount of business as an alternative for people who can't stand flying or pipe travel. It travels to all the other big cities around here, like Windmoore, and Starsville, provided you can afford the ticket."

As the two continued on their way, this time turning south, they passed by a small shopping center, containing a Chuckola Cola Sports Bar called the Doghouse, a cheap looking inn called the Cloud Nine which Luigi assumed was owned by some sort of awful pun-loving Lakitu judging by its cloud motif sign, a small item shop that didn't appear to have a name at all, and a building at the very end with a name Luigi recognized, Crazy Rowf's Badge Emporium, that had a big 'Coming soon!' banner across its doors, indicating it wasn't open yet.

"I wouldn't recommend the sports bar, obviously." Yassie began, as they strolled past the buildings. "The Dew Drop Inn is a decent little place, regardless of how scuzzy it looks on the outside. The owners are from a place called Nimbus Land, which is like, this totally choice place way up in the clouds, so goodness knows what they're doing in a city like this. The item shop is just your typical every day store, with all the essentials you need for adventuring or anything else, like Mushrooms, Syrup, and Fire Flowers. We should definitely stop in there before we go anywhere, it's never a good idea to go somewhere you've never been before unprepared, especially somewhere potentially dangerous."

"Er, well, I would, if I still had my wallet on me..." Luigi said in chagrin, causing Yassie to instantly bury her face in her hands.

"O-Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, I, I completely forgot about that..."

"Don't worry about it, Yassie." Luigi said quickly, giving her a reassuring look. "I, uh, brought a few Mushrooms and the like with me, so we should be okay for a little while at least."

"Oh, okay... That's a relief." Yassie said, breathing a sigh of relief before smiling knowingly at Luigi. "Silly me, I should've guessed a pro like you would have come prepared!"

"H-Ha, yeah, a pro like me..." Luigi laughed nervously, not bothering to tell Yassie that the only reason he had the items on him was because he had put on an old pair of overalls by mistake and the items had all been ones that were left over inside them from his last adventure with Mario. Which had been a few months ago. He really, really hoped that they wouldn't have to consume said items, as he was sure Mushrooms, regardless of their name, weren't supposed to have nearly such a curious, mushy consistency. And that's to say nothing of the vile, greenish yellow liquid that Luigi was certain at one point was some form of Syrup.

"But anyways..." Yassie continued, breaking Luigi out of his horrified thoughts of the surely inedible and possibly toxic things that lined his pockets. "The badge shop, I obviously know nothing about, other than the fact that it's supposed to be opening any day now, so we should remember to come back when it does to buy some badges. Though, I'm not too sure how much we should trust a person who willingly calls themselves 'crazy'..."

"Yeah, I already know not to..." Luigi muttered under his breath, reminded instantly of the Doogan's sleazy nature and ridiculous prices. He still remembered the asinine and apparently completely legit '0% off' flyer that he had sent his brother in the mail, and could do little more than scoff at the prospect of having to conduct business with him ever again.

...Not that Luigi ever read his brother's mail, of course. Why, that would be almost as bad as if his brother were to have read his secret diary! He just happened to 'accidentally' open a few letters on the way to putting them in his brother's private letterbox. It was an honest mistake, of course, since the letters could've been addressed to either of them, thanks to their confusing last name.

...Not that Luigi ever got any mail in the first place. Well, besides the one from the Waffle Kingdom that _DEFINITELY_ wasn't addressed to his brother, and the ones from Beanish billionaires asking him for his banking information so they could deposit their vast fortunes in it for safe keeping while they flee the country. Luigi knew better than to listen to any of those letters, though, since he knew how pathetic the Beanish to Shroomish coin exchange rate was first hand.

"...Um, Luigi? _Helloooo_? You still there?"

Luigi was brought back to the present at the sound of Yassie's voice. He soon realized he had been standing in place for over a minute mumbling to himself, which needless to say, had drawn the attention of curious onlookers and the confusion of Yassie.

Putting on another bout of fake laughter that was so loud he began to cough and hack, Luigi nodded his head far too enthusiastically as he began walking without waiting for Yassie, assuming she would follow behind him.

"L-Luigi, wait, that's the way we just came!" Yassie cried out after Luigi, causing him to whip around on a dime and walk back the correct way, his face as red as his brother's hat at this point as people around him started to point and laugh.

"Luigi, are you-"

"I-I'm fine! Perfectly fine!" Luigi shouted, still nodding as Yassie scrambled to catch up with him. Taking a moment to calm down as she reached him, Luigi looked down in embarrassment. "I-I mean... Yeah, I'm... Hey, we're almost there, right?"

"Um... Y-Yeah, it's only a little ways farther..." Yassie said slowly, choosing to ignore what had just happened to spare Luigi any further embarrassment. "It's in this little residential area up here, you really can't miss it."

Moments later, the two indeed reached a cozier, much less populated residential area that was filled with simple brick and brownstone apartment buildings and houses as opposed to the sleek, shiny skyscrapers and businesses that towered over every other square inch of the city. The people that were out and about were much friendlier than those in the other parts of town as well, as nearly everyone they passed took the time to say hello and wish them a good day.

"Wow, this place feels like a totally different city..." Luigi stated, as he smiled and waved back to another citizen who was sitting out on their stoop and enjoying the crisp summer evening.

"Yeah, I know, right?" Yassie said as she did the same. "This is where most of the 'normal' citizens live, the ones who don't drive the big fancy cars and spend all their time talking on the phone to people who are right in front of them. That's not to say it isn't dangerous here too, but most of the people here are good, honest, hard-working folks who try their best to keep trouble out of the area so that they can all live in relative peace. Unfortunately, the further south you go, the slummier and scarier the place gets, but generally, this area right here is the best place in the whole city by far... At least, if you were to ask me."

Nodding along to what Yassie was saying, Luigi's attention was soon drawn to two buildings that stood next to one another, pretty much the only two building that stood out at all in the quiet, unassuming little burg.

"Also, we're here, in case you couldn't tell." Yassie stated, stopping alongside Luigi to look at the two strange looking structures. On the left was a building that was painted in so many different colors that it made Luigi's eyes hurt to look directly at it, with a small sign of lovingly crafted letters emblazoned above its doorway that read 'Helping House'. Directly to the right of it was probably the strangest looking 'house' that Luigi had ever seen. It appeared as if it WAS a regular house at one point, but now there were so many random bits of machinery, wires, and other metal and electrical doohickies protruding every which way from it that it seemed more akin to being the house that Frankenstein built.

"That house that looks like a rainbow yacked on it is called the Helping House." Yassie began, shileding her eyes as she attempted to stare directly at it. "It's run by a group of concerned citizens who want to try and make the city a friendlier place to live, one person at a time. They invite people to come in whenever they have a problem that they need help with, get their information, send them on their way, and then wait for someone else to come in and help them out with whatever it is. In theory, it's the concept of one person helping out another, then that person helping out someone else, and so on and so on, but unfortunately, it's mostly a small group of about ten or so people who take on most all of the problems, as most just come in to get their own problems solved. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, since that's what the place is for in the first place, but it's kinda disheartening to know that seemingly so few people care enough to help their fellow citizens out. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but we should try and drop by sometime when we're not busy, some people post some pretty nice rewards, and it just feels good to help out, y'know?"

"Oh, of course." Luigi said with an understanding nod. "They had a place like this back in Rogueport too, I think. If nothing else, it lets you know that there are at least some people left in these types of places that wanna help others."

"Yeah, that's true..." Yassie said, sighing as she realized how pessimistic she had probably been the entire time so far. "But that's for later... Right now, our destination is that other house, the one that looks like it fought a car in a blender and all three of them lost."

"Oh boy..." Luigi muttered, not really wanting to have to go anywhere near such a sinister looking house.

"Don't worry, the guy who lives there is harmless..." Yassie said in a reassuring manner, before quietly adding in a much less confident tone, "...Well, at least intentionally..."

"Wonderful..." Luigi said sarcastically, sighing and shaking his head as he readied himself to go knock on the building's wacked out looking door. With Yassie following close behind, he tentatively walked up the building's front steps, taking care not to accidentally come into contact with any of the machinery that whirred and buzzed about the house, lest he lose a limb or four. Bringing his hand up to knock, Luigi was once again interrupted before he could do so by someone on the other side. This time, however, they didn't even open the door, they merely phased through it.

" _ **BARK BARK BARK BARK!**_ "

"A-AH! S-S-SPOOKY?!"

Without warning, Luigi was pounced upon and knocked down the stairs onto his back by the Polterpup that had shot through the door like a hot knife through butter, and the poor plumber was soon subjected to the tongue of a thousand licks, his face instantly getting covered with ectoplasmic drool as the spectral dog's tail began to wag so fast that it was lifting him off the ground. Or off of Luigi, as the case was.

As Yassie merely stood by, unsure of what to even begin to make of the situation besides laughing like a loon, the front door opened, and out stepped a bizarre little bespectacled old man that Luigi knew only too well.

"Oh my! Luigi, my boy! What a shocker to see you here, of all places! ...Er, that IS you, right? I can't quite tell with all that slobber all over your face..."

Unable to speak at all due to the absolute whitewashing his face was receiving courtesy of his Polterpup's tongue, Luigi could merely groan and lament inwardly in dread at the sound of his old 'friend' Professor E. Gadd's voice.

" _Oh no_... _Not_ _ **AGAIN**_..."


	6. Prologue, Part 5: An Unexpected Reunion

"Ohoho, now that's quite a story you got there, sonny! You always seem to be up to your eyebrows in danger, don'tcha?"

"Yeah, I don't know how that keeps happening..."

It had taken about twenty minutes for Luigi and Yassie to explain to E. Gadd in full what they were doing and why they had come to see him, and they were now sitting in the professor's living room, if you could even call the room by such a name. The tiny, cramped room was made even smaller by the numerous machines scattered all about that appeared to have only doubled in number from outside. Seated on the only piece of furniture that wasn't already occupied by some sort of gadget, the two sat rather uncomfortably on the odd shaped couch as Luigi finally managed to wring the last of Spooky's drool out of his beautiful mustache. The Polterpup rested comfortably at his feet, overjoyed to see his master again.

"Boy, it sure is a good thing I happened to be in town then, eh Luigi?"

Sighing, Luigi nodded and lied through his teeth. "Oh yes, for sure, professor..." Luigi, of course, knew full well that E. Gadd was little more than a harbinger of doom for him, as whenever he crossed paths with the old man, he would soon without fail be forced into doing something that would be highly, highly unpleasant for him. Suddenly, this whole adventure seemed like a terrible idea to the plumber.

Glancing down at his feet, Luigi cleared his throat and let out a small, plaintive chuckle. "I had this awfu- _I-I mean_ , this not awful at all feeling that you were Merlon's old acquaintance... But I sure wasn't expecting to see Spooky here, though..."

"Ah, yes, well, I didn't want to have to leave the poor pooch all alone in that big ol' mansion of yours, so I figured I'd take 'im along with me, give 'im a chance to see the world and all that." E. Gadd replied, collecting the tea cups that he had set out for the two and putting them in a particularly sinister looking machine, which zapped the cups with a bright green light, causing them to disintegrate into a pile of ashes. "Oh nuts, I thought I fixed that..."

"Wow, you own a _mansion_ , Luigi?" Yassie asked in awe, looking at Luigi in her usual star-struck way.

"Er, well, it's... Kind of a long story..." Luigi stuttered in response, not particularly wanting to bring up the memories of that place if he didn't absolutely have to. It's true, he technically owned a sprawling, luxurious mansion, but he wasn't too particularly fond of the other inhabitants of it, even if they were technically friendly now. Realizing he didn't really have any way to take care of his new overly-energetic Polterpup at he and his brother's normal house, he left him and the mansion in the care of E. Gadd, hoping it would be a good fit for both of them. Obviously, that wasn't the case.

"Boy, but he sure was happy to see you again, young feller!" E. Gadd said, clapping his hands together happily as he stared at the euphoric Polterpup that continued to cuddle against Luigi's feet.

"Yeah, I'm... Happy to see him again too." Luigi said with a small smile, unable to keep himself from doing so as he too looked down at his doggie, realizing he had indeed missed the pup as well. He knew simply visiting his dog wasn't the reason they had come, however, and he quickly cleared his throat and gave E. Gadd a serious look. "Ah, but, we can probably catch up later, professor. Is there anything you can tell us about the Dream Casters? Merlon said you were sort of an expert on the things, or something to that effect."

"Ohoho, well, I don't know if I'd call myself an _expert_ , but..." E. Gadd began, waving his hand dismissively at Luigi's claims. "It _is_ true that I know my fair share about the things. I've always been fascinated by how these type o' dealies work, and there aren't any that fascinate me more than the Dream Casters! The ability to do whatever you want, no matter how outlandish it would be? My, wouldn't that be just a marvelous power to have at your control!"

"Er, yeah, it sounds, uh, 'marvelous', alright..." Luigi began, not really wanting E. Gadd to go off on a tangent as he was so wont to do. "But Merlon already told us about what they do, what we need to know is how to find them, professor. Do you know where any of them might be?"

"Hmm..." E. Gadd frowned, as he put his hand to his chin and thought deeply. Moments later, he shook his head no, causing Luigi and Yassie to both release exasperated sighs. "Sorry young'uns, but if I knew where any of them were, I would've already went off to find 'im myself! Or rather, I would've gotten you and your brother to find 'im for me, Luigi! Dohohohoho!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you would've..." Luigi said dryly, rolling his eyes as he didn't doubt a word that E. Gadd said.

"You know what though, there _might_ just be a way..." E. Gadd said after a moment of silence, causing Luigi and Yassie's attention to perk back up. E. Gadd continued talking as he walked over to an overstuffed bookcase and pulled out a dusty, ancient looking tome. "I seem to recall having read that the Dream Casters have a sort of built in 'tracking device' amongst them. As in, if you have one, you can use its powers to lead you in the direction of the rest of them."

"W-Wow, really?" Luigi said excitedly, as E. Gadd dropped the tome onto his coffee table with a dull thump, the noise startling Spooky and causing him to jump up into Luigi's lap.

"Yes indeedy!" E. Gadd said triumphantly, as he squeezed in beside Luigi on the already cramped couch and thumbed through the tome's pages until he found the one he was looking for. "This tome is the only text I know of that speaks directly of the Dream Casters themselves, and not as a second or third hand account of them. Unfortunately, most of the pages are missing, so there's no way to find out who created them, or for what purpose. It does state, however, that they caused great war and strife amongst the ancient people who fought each other for control of them, each wanting to get their greedy little mitts on the things so their kingdoms would rule all. Seeing the great calamity they caused, the whoevers or whatevers that made the things, which this book only calls 'the Great Creators', punished the people for their hubris by taking the Dream Casters away, disguising them and hiding them all over what's now the Mushroom Kingdom so that no one would ever fight for them or try to abuse their powers ever again."

"So, the old 'created for good, only ever misused for evil' chestnut, eh?" Yassie asked.

E. Gadd nodded. "It would seem so, lassie. Although, there isn't any actual text of anyone ever misusing them, only STRIVING to do so. Unless, of course, that happened in the pages that were ripped out. But, as it were, each of the seven ancient kingdoms had control of their own Dream Caster, assumingly given to each of them by the Great Creators, and apparently that just wasn't good enough for any of 'em. But, back to the point at hand, it says that as a precaution for if the Great Creators ever needed to find the Dream Casters and couldn't, they made them so that as long as they knew where one was, they could use it to lead them to the rest of them."

Luigi shook his head in concern as he calmly stroked his Polterpup's head. "Well, that's all fine and dandy, but don't we need to find at least one first too, then? How are we gonna find even one if we have no idea where any of them are?"

"Ah, I didn't say that I didn't have _any_ ideas of where they were at, my lad!" E. Gadd said, a gleam shining from his lenses. Closing the tome, he walked over to the bookshelf and put it back, then motioned for Luigi and Yassie to follow him. With Spooky trotting closely behind Luigi, the group stopped in front of a large, seemingly empty wall. With the press of a button, however, the wall and floor around it began to shift around, revealing a giant computer monitor that took up the space of the entire wall. Clacking a few keys on the large, desk sized keyboard that had sprouted from the floor in front of it, E. Gadd displayed upon the screen a hideously complicated formula of some sort that neither Luigi nor Yassie could even begin to comprehend.

"Uh... Are we supposed to know what any of that stuff means, professor?" Yassie asked after a moment, scratching her head in confusion as she and Luigi exchanged hopeless glances at one another.

"Hmm?" E. Gadd looked at the screen and let out a chortle. "Ohoho, no, that's just my desktop background! THIS is what you should take a look at!"

Running his fingers across the keyboard's mousebox, he double clicked on an image file, opening it to display an even more confusing jumble of lines and jargon that E. Gadd appeared to have made himself using a drawing program. In the middle of all the scribbles was a picture of a cozy little seaside town with a great, enormous mountain looming over it. Pasted atop the mountain was a rather badly hand-drawn image of a star, circled in red about fifty times.

"Nimbihurst?" Yassie stated in immediate recognition of the pictured town, drawing rather impressed looks from both Luigi and E. Gadd. "Are you saying there's a Dream Caster there, professor?"

"Well, I can't be certain, but..." Pulling up a few text files, each filled with the same unreadable gobbledygook that only the professor could possibly interpret, E. Gadd continued excitedly, as if his guests could actually understand the text files at all. "All the research I've poured into the subject seems to indicate that the last actual known location of any of the Dream Casters was in the location where Nimbihurst happens to be in this day and age."

"In this day and age?" Luigi repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Professor, just how far back was it when this last actual location was known?"

"Oh, about a thousand or so years ago, give or take a few decades." E. Gadd said with a small chuckle, oblivious to the incredulous looks that Yassie and Luigi were giving him.

"A thousand years ago?!" Luigi cried. "There's no way that thing is still gonna be there after all these years!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, youngster." E. Gadd said, a gleam in his glasses as he began to scroll through the text files for the 'benefit' of his guests. "It seems that around the time that the Dream Caster was last seen was the same time that Nimbihurst first started appearing in recorded history. Of course, I'm sure it wasn't anything special way back then, but throughout history, its been known as a particularly quiet, lucky town. It's consistently rated as one of the safest places in all of the Mushroom Kingdom, despite the fact that it's wedged in a valley between a mountain and the ocean, and not once has a rock slide, hurricane, or any other such natural disaster ever befell the city even once in it's entire history!"

"That's... Nice?" Luigi said slowly, scratching his head. "But what does any of that have to do with anything?"

Yassie spoke up before E. Gadd had to explain anything further, nodding knowingly. "I think what the professor is trying to say is that Nimbihurst's good luck isn't exactly natural... Or in other words, the Dream Caster disappearing around the same time that Nimbihurst first appeared isn't a coincidence."

"Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking, my girl!" E. Gadd said, clapping happily. "You've got a good thinker in that noggin of yours, Luigi could learn a thing or two from you, I think! Ohohohoho!"

Luigi folded his arms and looked at E. Gadd in annoyance. "Alright, alright, let's just get back to explaining things for the benefit of my poor, feeble mind, capiche?"

"Ah, yes, of course, sonny." E. Gadd said, though it took him another few moments for his laughter to die down. "Anyhoo, as your friend there said, I don't think it's a mere coincidence that Nimbihurst first showed up when the Dream Caster disappeared. I have an inkling that whoever it was that founded Nimbihurst was the same person who discovered the Dream Caster. Chances are they didn't even know what it was, but I'd assume that it subtly influenced the prosperation of the town, and has been doing so for centuries, the Dream Caster being passed down throughout the ages from one head of town to the next. So, all you've got to do is head to Nimbihurst, ask whoever happens to be running the joint now if they have any priceless family heirlooms in their possession, and then ask them if you can borrow it for a teensy tiny bit. Easy as pie, my boy!"

While it may have sounded 'easy as pie' to E. Gadd, Luigi and Yassie seemed less than convinced.

"Professor, not to be rude or anything, but do you hear the things you say sometimes?" Luigi asked, shaking his head at the professor's naivety. "Assuming you're right and the Dream Caster really is in Nimbihurst and in the possession of the town's leader, why in the world would he or she be willing to let us, two completely random strangers, have what you yourself called a 'priceless family heirloom'?"

"I'm gonna have to agree with Luigi here, professor." Yassie said, just as skeptical of E. Gadd's plan as Luigi was. "Somehow, I don't think they'll believe us if we were to tell them we needed their family's precious heirloom to help save the world from a group of unknown shadowy blobs. After all, you said they probably didn't even know that it was anything special in the first place, and on the off chance that they did, why would they want to give away the thing that's keeping their town safe and prosperous?"

"You never know, youngsters, sometimes people surprise you." E. Gadd said simply. Luigi couldn't tell if the professor truly believed his plan would work, or if he really was just that naive. Sighing, he realized it was probably some of both and that there was no point in trying to push the subject any further.

"Okay, so, let's just pretend for a moment that we get out there, and the Dream Caster isn't there after all. Then what?" Luigi asked, not really wanting to go through with the professor's plan unless it was absolutely the only option available. "Don't you have even the slightest idea where any other Dream Casters might be, professor? Surely, there have been _some_ accounts of them in recent history? Or at least, strange occurrences like the whole Nimbihurst being so peaceful thing that you've noticed elsewhere?"

"Hmm..." E. Gadd put his hand to his chin and furrowed his brow, staring at his text files intently for a minute before letting out a small sigh and shaking his head once more. "Sorry sonny, but nothing that I have enough confidence in to send you two to investigate. I have a few vague ideas where some may be, but there's just not enough information available for me to truly believe in any of them. But on the plus side, if you find the one in Nimbihurst, it should be able to point you to the next one, and with any luck, wherever it points you may match up with another location that I have on my list of possible spots!"

Looking from E. Gadd to Yassie in exasperation, Luigi's shoulders slumped.

"Hey, it's better than nothing, right?" Yassie said, trying to keep things positive, though she too was less than thrilled about having only such a sketchy lead to follow.

Luigi let out another large sigh as Spooky whimpered at him slightly, picking up on his sadness. "I guess..."

"Oh, don't be so down in the dumps, sonny!" E. Gadd stated, clapping Luigi on the back reassuringly. "I know that if anyone can find these things, it'd be you!"

"That's right, Luigi!" Yassie exclaimed, clapping Luigi on his other shoulder in a much more forceful manner than E. Gadd had. "There's no better person for a job like this than you! If you could save Princess Eclair, then this shouldn't be any problem at all!"

"Bark bark bark!" Spooky added, jumping up excitedly at Luigi in an attempt to recoat his face in drool.

"...Alright, alright..." Luigi stated after a moment of silence, unable to keep of his negativity in the air of his friends' confident words. "I guess if we're gonna do this, I can't be so skeptical of everything. I'm sure my brother runs into problems like this all the time, and he doesn't get all mopey about it. So, let's do this!" Sticking his fist out in front of him, Yassie and Spooky eagerly joined in, Yassie sticking her own fist out and Spooky sticking his tongue out respectively at Luigi's fist.

"Oh, Spooky, not the glove!" Luigi said in disgust, shaking his gloved hand futilely to try and get the slobber off of it.

"At least you were WEARING something..." Yassie added, she too shaking her hand to get the yuck off.

"Eugh..." Realizing there were more important things at hand than his glove, Luigi quickly shifted subjects back. "A-Anyways, thanks for all your help, professor, if we find the Dream Caster, we'll come back here immediately so we can figure out what to do next, okay?"

"Sounds like a fine plan to me, my boy!" E. Gadd said with an agreeing nod. "In the mean time, I'll keep researching the possible resting places of the other ones, and hopefully by the time you two get back, I'll have found something a bit more concrete to follow up on."

"Right, well, good luck with that, professor." Luigi said. "You ready, Yassie?"

"Oh, one more thing before you go, you two!" E. Gadd stated in urgency before Yassie could respond. "I almost forgot, let me give you one of my new inventions to take along with you to make things easier for the lot of us!"

Taking off down the hallway, E. Gadd stepped into another room, and after a few loud, house shaking crashes, reappeared with a familiar device in his hands.

"The Dual Scream, professor?" Luigi questioned, raising an eyebrow as he saw the small, silver device in E. Gadd's hands. "That's not really new, is it?"

Yassie too raised an eyebrow in curiosity at the device's strange name. "Dual Scream?"

"It's... Another long story..." Luigi said, not really wanting Yassie to find out the embarrassing origins behind the thing's title.

"Ohoho, don't you worry, sonny, this ain't your granddaddy's DS!" E. Gadd said with a sly grin. Flipping the device open, he pushed a few buttons on it, and to Luigi and Yassie's amazement, a small, holographic duplicate of E. Gadd appeared 'atop' the machine's bottom screen. "Behold, the latest and greatest version of the E. Gadd Industries Dual Scream, the 3-Dimensional Daily Digital Secretary, or 3DS for short. I figured 'Dual Scream' wasn't exactly a name that'd make the thing fly off the shelves, so to speak, so I changed it around to somethin' a little more casual soundin'."

"I dunno, the new name is... Quite a mouthful." Luigi said under his breath. "But er, wow, that little hologram thingy sure is neat, what all does it do?"

"Heh, it'd probably be easier to tell you a list of things that it doesn't do, sonny!" E. Gadd replied with a hearty chortle. "First and foremost, you can use it for 3-dimensional video chats, providing the person you're speaking to has another 3DS, of course! As of right now, I only have my two prototype versions, so you won't be able to use this feature with anyone besides me, I'm afraid. But not to worry, this way, you'll be able to keep me up to date with your progress, and I'll be able to pass on any new information I happen to find out without you having to come all the way back to my lab all the time! But that's not all, no, far from it, my lad! With this wondrous device, you'll also be able to send and receive emails, view a fully detailed map of your current area, surf the web, watch TV, fry an omelet... Heck, you can do pretty much anything except play video games on it!"

"Wow, really?" Luigi asked, looking at the little machine in awe before seeing the sheepish look that E. Gadd had adopted.

"...Well, in theory, at least." the professor added quietly, under Luigi's scrutinizing gaze. "See, it's still in its prototype stage, so most of those features still haven't been implemented yet, other than the video chat, map, and the e-mail services. But just think, you'll be the first on the block to own one of these marvelous machines before anyone else once I've finished fine tuning them and put them on the market!"

"Gee, terrific." Luigi said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"No fair, how come I don't get one?" Yassie pouted.

"Don't worry, you can have this one once this whole thing is over." Luigi muttered to her out of earshot from E. Gadd.

"Eee, oh boy, I can't wait!" Yassie said giddily, excited at the prospect of owning such a revolutionary sounding device.

"Er, but thanks professor, really." Luigi said, nodding gratefully to the professor as he slipped the machine into his pocket. "I'm sure this'll come in handy, just like the last Dual Scream."

" _And thank the stars I won't have to worry about being pixelated every time the thing rings this time..._ " the plumber thought happily to himself.

"No problem, my boy!" E. Gadd said with a grin. "And if you ever need my help with anything, just give me a call, my genius intellect will be sure to help you out of any pickle you may happen to get yourselves into!"

"Will do, professor!" Yassie said, as she, Luigi, and Spooky made their way towards the door.

"Ah, right, one more thing before you go!" E. Gadd said for the second time. Fishing around in the pockets of his lab coat, he pulled out a small, shiny silver badge that was shaped like a spiked boot. He flipped it to Luigi, who just barely managed to fumble and keep a hold of it. Luigi recognized the badge as a Power Stomp and smiled. "I found that ol' thing laying around the other day, you may as well get some use out of it, my boy! You do know how to use those things, right?"

"Oh yeah, I know all about badges, professor." Luigi stated as he equipped the badge on his overalls. "Thanks, this should _definitely_ be useful!"

"Alrighty, well, good luck you three, make sure you keep yourselves safe now, y'hear?" E. Gadd called as Luigi opened the front door and began to step outside.

"Thanks professor, we-" Luigi began, before stopping dead in his tracks as his mind processed what E. Gadd had said. "Wait a minute, you THREE?"

"Why, you, Yassie, and Spooky, of course!" E. Gadd stated.

Luigi looked down at his Polterpup, who immediately sat down obediently at his feet and looked up happily at him, his tail wagging a mile a minute.

"Uh, I-I wasn't planning on taking Spooky with me, professor..." Luigi said in hesitation, causing the Polterpup to start whimpering and staring up at him with an absolutely pitiful expression. "I mean, I wouldn't want him to get hurt or anything..."

"Oh, hockey sticks, you don't have to worry about him getting hurt, he's a ghost, for criminy's sake!" E. Gadd said, laughing and shaking his head at Luigi's words. "Besides, he could be a real asset for you on your journey! Why, with his super sniffer, you shouldn't have any trouble at all with finding things or getting lost!"

"Yeah, but it's not really his nose that I'm concerned about..." Luigi exclaimed, thinking back unpleasantly to all the mischief the spectral dog had gotten himself and Luigi into during their first meetings.

"Oh, now, you know that wasn't his fault, youngster!" E. Gadd said, waggling his finger at the plumber in a tsking manner. "He's a perfectly well-mannered pooch now, and all he wants to do is spend time with and help out his master, are you saying you're gonna deny the poor thing of those few, simple wantings and force him to stay here in this stuffy old house for who knows how long?"

"...N-No, but I..." Luigi began, trying his best to ignore the whimpers and pleading look that Spooky was only pouring on more and more of.

"Aw, come on, Luigi, don't be so mean!" Yassie said, bending down to pet Spooky and joining him in looking up accusingly at Luigi. "I'm sure he'd be a great help, just like the professor said! And it'd be more fun with him along, too! _Pleeeeeeeease_ , Luigi?"

Glancing from one pitiful face to the next and realizing he would get no help on the matter, Luigi finally couldn't take it anymore and caved in, much to the delight of everyone around him. "...Alright, he can come with us..."

"Yay!" Yassie cried, she and Spooky hopping up and down in utter excitement.

" **BUT!** "Luigi bellowed, stopping the hopping dead. "No more nasty, disgusting face slobbering, okay? It takes _FOREVER_ to get that stuff out of my mustache, and it completely ruins its luxurious sheen!"

Spooky, wanting to let Luigi know he understood, promptly hopped up into his arms and gave his face another nasty, disgusting slobbering.

" _ **SPOOKY, NO!**_ "

* * *

"Oh my gosh, my sides..."

It took Luigi a good five minutes to clean his face once more, but the group had finally made their way back outside of E. Gadd's place, Spooky following obediently behind Luigi, and Yassie barely able to breathe from the massive bout of laughter she had just been engaged in.

"Well, I'm glad _someone_ got enjoyment out of that." Luigi said sarcastically as he waited for Yassie to get her wind back.

"N-No, don't be that way Luigi, I wasn't laughing _at_ you!" Yassie proclaimed, still giggling slightly to herself as she was unable to get the picture of Spooky blissfully ignoring Luigi out of her mind.

"Yeah, yeah, sure..." Luigi said, shaking his head and smirking. "Well, once you can breathe again, would you happen to know how we would go about getting to this Nimbihurst place?"

"Ah, well, let me think..." Yassie said, crossing her arms and looking up at the darkening sky in thought. "Nimbihurst is far to the south of here, so walking is out of the question. Even if we had any money, I don't think the train runs there anymore, and I don't think there are any boats that go there from here either..."

Luigi frowned at this news. "Uh, so, _IS_ there any efficient way there from here, then?"

"Still thinking..." Yassie said, shushing Luigi before a light bulb quickly went off in her head. "Oh, that's right! I think there's a pipe somewhere in the old subway tunnels that leads to the outskirts of Nimbihurst! You know all about pipes, right?"

"Yeah, you could say that." Luigi said with a small laugh. "I'm not so sure I like the sound of 'old subway tunnels', though."

"Oh, don't worry, it's not like there are rat men living down there or anything." Yassie said, waving her hand dismissively. "They're not any more dangerous than the rest of the city, at least."

Luigi whimpered. "I know you meant that to be reassuring, but..."

"Relax, it'll be fine!" Yassie said. "Now come on, we have a world to save, remember?"

"...Y-Yeah, of course..." Luigi muttered, sighing as he followed Yassie back the way they had come to get to E. Gadd's house, Spooky trotting happily behind him, sniffing everything in sight. As they passed by the Helping House, however, they were stopped in their tracks at the sound of a shocked gasp coming from the house's entrance.

"Oh my gosh, wait!"

Luigi and Yassie turned in curiosity towards the sound of the voice, which to Luigi's utmost horror seemed to have come from the pale lavender Boo that was making a beeline for them. Instinctively, he scrambled behind Yassie, not wanting anything to do with any ghosts besides Spooky.

"Luigi, what are you-"

"A-Ah, wait, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!" the Boo cried out before Yassie could finish her sentence. Reaching the group, Luigi was able to get a better look at her; her strange, ghostly pigtails bobbed whispily as she slowed to a stop, and her long, flowing red and white scarf seemed ill-fitted for a Boo, as it took up almost half of her entire body, her tail just barely peeking out from underneath it. Equally ill-befitting of a Boo was her pleasant, kindly expression, which Luigi had never seen on a single Boo in his entire lifetime, and he had seen a lot of them. This, of course, was of little consequence to Luigi, and he continued to huddle behind Yassie like a child, while Spooky merely sniffed at her and wagged his tail curiously.

"Please, don't be afraid!" the Boo said, seeing Luigi's continued disturbance at her appearance. "I didn't mean to just rush up like that, I just... Well, I had to get your attention somehow!"

"Um, can I ask why?" Yassie questioned, not really sure of what to say or do with Luigi cowering behind her in such a fashion.

"Oh, right, of course!" the Boo said in realization, quickly beginning to rummage through her scarf until she pulled out an object Luigi assumed he'd never see again.

"My wallet!" he gasped, stepping out from behind Yassie so the Boo could hand it to him. Opening it up, he was even more shocked to see everything was still in it. "M-My money, and passport!"

"Wow, you're kidding! That stuff's still in there?" Yassie exclaimed in equal shock at the news.

"Yeah, b-but... How?" Luigi looked at the Boo in utter confusion. He had never seen her before, how in the world did she get a hold of his wallet, and with nothing missing from it, to boot?

"Ah, well, I was just out walking when this guy in green zoomed by me, or rather, through me, and he ended up dropping it." the Boo began. "He just kept going without even bothering to look back, and I was going to try and return it to him and give him a piece of my mind when I realized that it didn't even belong to him! He was probably trying to steal something from me too, but luckily, I don't have any money, so the joke was on him. Anyways, I was looking all around to see if I could find the wallet's owner, but I didn't have any luck, obviously. So I was just coming to bring it to the Helping House to post that I had found it, when, well, you showed up out of the blue! Talk about lucky!"

"...Y-Yeah, I'll say..." Luigi stuttered, still in shock at the Boo's story. "Gosh, I... I don't know how I can ever thank you!"

"Yeah, wow, it's SUPER rare to see someone like you around here, most people would just take the wallet themselves, or at least take the things inside it!" Yassie exclaimed.

"Oh no, I could never do something like that." the Boo stated immediately, shaking her head at the mere thought of doing such a thing. "And you don't have to worry about thanking me, I'm just glad I was able to find you to give it back so easily!"

"Ah, wait, at least let me give you a reward or something, you said you didn't have any money, didn't you?" Luigi said, as he began to reach into his wallet for some coins to give to the Boo.

"Oh, no, no, please, keep you money." the Boo urged, putting her hands up. "I... I didn't mean it like that, I just... Well, it doesn't matter, but please, you don't need to give me anything. I appreciate the sentiment, though!"

"Oh... Well, if you're sure..." Luigi said slowly, as he put his wallet back into his pocket. "Are you sure there isn't anything I can do for you, though?"

"No no, like I said, I'm just glad I was able to find you so quickly!" the Boo said with a smile. Glancing at the clock that hung above the Helping House's doorway, she let out a small gasp. "Oh my gosh though, I have to go! It was nice to meet you guys, I hope you have a great day! Oh, and your dog is _adorable_!"

The Boo trailed off as she quickly faded off into the distance, disappearing into one of the many crowds of people that led into the city proper. Luigi and Yassie waved her goodbye until she was gone.

"Wow, what a nice Boo!" Yassie said, giggling slightly to herself. "Now there's a phrase I didn't think I'd ever say... But goodness, you're so lucky that she found your wallet, Luigi!"

"Geez, tell me about it." Luigi said in agreement. "I think that's the first genuinely good thing that's happened to me since I got here! Er, I-I mean, besides running into you, of course, ehehehe..."

Yassie put her hands on her hips and smirked at the plumber. "Gee, thanks. Gosh, I just realized though, we didn't even get her name!"

"Oh, you're right!" Luigi said, frowning. "She's not someone you've ever seen before?"

Yassie shook her head. "No, unfortunately. I should've gotten her on camera, though, I've had the thing running since we fought those thugs, so at least we won't forget what she looks like if we ever happen to run into her again."

"Yeah, because I sure do feel terrible for not being able to thank her in any way..." Luigi said sadly, before perking his attention back up. "...Wait, you've had your camera running all this time?"

"Yup!" Yassie said proudly, patting the camera that sat snugly in her bag. "I don't wanna miss a minute of our adventure, after all! And I just bought this new anti-shake cradle and everything, I wanted to see how well it worked! Because let me tell you, if it doesn't work like they advertised, then boy oh boy, am I going to have a few things to say to the store who sold it to me!"

As Yassie continued rambling on and on about her camera and its many dongles, Luigi couldn't help but feel horrible inside, as he had already been captured on film acting like a wimp countless times already, and the journey hadn't even technically begun yet!

"...and my GOSH, you wouldn't even _BELIEVE_ how hard it was for me to find... Uh, you okay, Luigi?" Yassie asked worriedly, breaking off from her spiel once she noticed the look on Luigi's face.

"Y-Yeah, I'm perfectly fine." Luigi claimed, rubbing Spooky's head, as the dog looked at him in equal fret. "So, is there an entrance to the underground anywhere near here?"

"Oh, yeah, there's actually one right behind that little shopping center we passed on the way here." Yassie said. "And now that we have money, we can stock up on supplies on the way there!"

"Yeah, thank goodness." Luigi said, breathing a heavy sigh of relief knowing that he wouldn't have to consume the horrifying things that were festering in his pockets after all.

* * *

After a quick stop at the shop to stock up on the essentials, Luigi, Yassie, and Spooky made their way down the partially blocked off entrance to the old subway tunnels, and after a short, enemy free journey, quickly reached the pipe that Yassie claimed led to Nimbihurst.

"Well, are you guys ready?" Luigi asked to his compatriot and dog one more time before his stepped into the pipe.

"Like you wouldn't even believe!" Yassie said excitedly, all too eager to leave New Appelle behind, even if only for a little while.

"Woof woof, bark!" Spooky said happily, as he hopped up into Luigi's arms in preparation.

"Um, y-you're sure you know how to use these things though, right?" Yassie asked after a moment's hesitation, having never traveled by pipe before.

Luigi let out a laugh. "Oh yeah, I don't think there's anyone besides my brother who knows how to use these things better than I do. Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it, just stick close to me, alright?"

"Oh, don't worry, I won't let you out of my sight..." Yassie responded nervously, still apprehensive about traveling through such a tight space, but choosing to trust in Luigi regardless.

"Alright then, let's do this!" Luigi said confidently, hopping up on top of the pipe and helping Yassie to do the same. "It's time to show the world what we're made of! It's **Luigi Time**!"


	7. Prologue Intermission

Mario's whole body ached. It felt as if a bus had been dropped on him. Seventy two times. He had no worldly idea why he was feeling that way, but his head was throbbing too much to think about it for very long. All he knew was, he had never quite felt this level of pain before in his life, and that was saying something, after all the things Bowser and countless other villains had put him through before.

Bowser... Was this Bowser's doing? But... Was _what_ Bowser's doing?

Where was Mario, anyway? He would have loved to have known that, as most people assuredly would, but he couldn't even bring himself to open his eyes, such was the level of pain and exhaustion that coursed through every muscle in his body. All he could hear was a repetitive, gentle lapping noise... Waves, perhaps? But where would he be that he could hear...

Oh...

Oh _no_...

_The ship!_

That's right! The last thing Mario could remember, he was with Peach aboard her new cruise ship! They were-

_**Peach.** _

Letting out an absolutely horrifying groan of effort, Mario struggled to open his eyes and push himself to his feet. His vision was blurry through the tears of pain that welled in his eyes, he could hardly make out his surroundings at all, but it was somewhere unfamiliar to him, at the very least. A beach of some sort, though Mario was so far ashore that he wasn't wet at all. He glanced around frantically for any sign of Peach, or anyone else, for that matter.

But nothing. No Peach. No other passengers at all. Not even any sign of a wreck. The only thing he could make out that seemed out of place at all was...

His hat? Mario quickly patted himself atop the head and sure enough, it was bare. Without even thinking, he trudged forward, his legs shaky and unstable due to both the pain that wracked him as well as the unstable sand that he walked upon, reaching out in front of him like a zombie for the simple, red cap that lay motionless a short ways away from him. Through great effort, he managed to reach it, but as he bent down to pick it up, it did something decidedly wrong.

It moved.

Mario wasn't in any mood for such shenanigans. It couldn't have been the wind, as there was none blowing whatsoever, but Mario didn't really care to try and make any sense of the situation, he just wanted his hat back. Struggling to follow it, he forced his legs forward, and once again bent down to grab his cap.

He was too slow.

His frustration boiling over, Mario temporarily managed to ignore the pain just long enough to move himself forward into position to make a diving grasp for the hat, hoping to catch it by surprise.

And success! Mario was able to pry his cap away from the clutches of the small crab that had commandeered it, accidentally flinging it far away into the sea as he grabbed ahold of the hat it was holding onto. Pushing himself to his feet, Mario triumphantly let out a 'Woo-hoo!' of happiness as he lovingly placed his cap back on his head, not bothering to brush the sand off of it first.

Then his body reminded him that it didn't appreciate him doing such things without its permission.

Mario promptly collapsed to the ground, finally passing out from the ungodly pain.

* * *

"...Oh... Mama mia..."

Mario let out another groan, though this one was mercifully less hurt filled.

"Oh, you're finally awake! Thank goodness..."

The sound of an unfamiliar voice prompted Mario to open his eyes, and to his surprise, he was in an even less recognizable place than he had been the last time he awoke. He appeared to be in a small hut of some sort, the funnel shaped roof along with the tightly compacted walls seemingly made out of simple straw, or some other such material. The hut's single window, which was merely a square hole cut out from one of the walls, was letting in the golden glow of the setting sun outside, bathing everything within the hut in an orangish hue. Mario layed in what seemed to him at that moment to be the comfiest bed he had ever layed in in his life, and the only chair in the hut was occupied by a Goomba.

The Goomba was a slightly tanner shade than most, and her eyelids drooped ever so lightly, giving her a bit of a tired expression. Her hair was a shimmering rainbow of colors, mysteriously changing whenever she moved, and it was tied back in a long (for a Goomba) ponytail with a short bang hanging in front of her face, slightly obscuring the left side of it, and Mario couldn't help but wonder how in the world she had managed to dye it in such a dynamic way, particularly without any hands.

"Are you alright, mister? You were in pretty bad shape when I found you..."

Mario opened his mouth to respond to the Goomba's question, but balked. He blinked in confusion, realizing he didn't appear to be in any pain at all, a stark contrast from the sheer agony his body was in earlier. This was especially curious to Mario, as his body always hurt for days afterwards anytime he was in pain before, so there was no real reason he should be feeling so good... Just how long had he been out for...?

"...Mister?"

Mario snapped himself out of his thoughts, turning his attention back to the Goomba. Realizing he should probably keep it simple, he simply nodded in response to let the Goomba know he was at the very least currently okay.

"Really? That's a relief..." the Goomba said, letting out a small sigh. "That's actually rather surprising, judging by how awful you looked... But I suppose we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth... What were you doing out there, though? The only way to get to that beach is through the village, but no one remembers seeing you pass through..."

Mario tilted his head to the side in confusion at the Goomba's question. It was hard for him to answer, least of all because he had no idea where he was in the first place. And so he merely shrugged and shook his head, doing his best to explain his situation to the Goomba.

"You don't know how you got there, or even where 'there' is...?" the Goomba repeated slowly, unsure if she had understood Mario's rapid manner of speaking, to which the plumber nodded in confirmation. "Oh dear... That's... Troubling... Do you happen to remember anything at all before you woke up on the beach?"

Putting his hand to his chin, Mario thought for a moment before snapping up in shock, remembering instantly what he had to do. Attempting to scramble out of bed, the Goomba hastily hopped out of her chair and blocked Mario's path to the hut's only doorway.

"W-Whoa, wait, what's the hurry?" the Goomba cried in shock at Mario's sudden actions. "I don't think you should be up and about right yet, you should try and rest a bit, just to be on the safe side, don't you think?"

Mario shook his head rapidly, gesticulating madly to the Goomba about why he was in such a hurry all of a sudden.

The Goomba gasped, looking at Mario with an expression of disbelief. "O-oh my, you... You mean you're... You're _Mario_?"

Mario nodded quickly, used to getting such reactions but not particularly having the time to deal with such a situation at the moment.

"P-Please, wait, I... I think there's something you should see..." the Goomba said in urgency, before walking over to the hut's small, ancient looking television set and turning it on. The picture that showed up was not at all the kind of thing that Mario wanted to see, however.

"-and once again, ladies and gentlemen, for those of you who have just joined us, do not adjust your television sets, you're reading that correctly. The Mushroom Kingdom's new royal cruise liner, the Grand Toadstool, has disappeared without a trace."

Mario's breath caught in his throat. He could do little more than watch in horror at the newscast, he himself at a loss for words.

"The ship's last known location, the infamous Palmeda Triangle, is well-known as an area where many ships and aircraft mysteriously vanish, never to be seen again. What is not known is what the Royal Toadstool was doing in the area, as the princess' loyal retainer, Toadsworth, was known for his highly superstitious nature, and it is believed that there is no way that he would have let the ship sail in such a dubious place. All that is known at this time is that the ship has disappeared from any and all radar, taking along with it the incredibly precious cargo that was aboard it. Our thoughts are with those aboard the vessel, among them MKBN's very own veteran reporter, Klarc Koopsleeve, and we pray to the stars that Mario has found a way to deal with this crisis as he always does. Stay with us here on MKBN, as we continue with our ongoing coverage of this terrible turn of events throughout the night."

Mario continued to stand in stunned silence, unable to quite process what he was seeing and hearing.

The Goomba frowned heavily at the look that was etched upon Mario's face. "...Um, I think I already know the answer to this, but... You don't remember anything besides waking up on the beach, do you?"

After a few more moments of silence, Mario slowly and shakily shook his head no. This was even worse than he had imagined. Not only was Peach and the rest of the guests missing, the ENTIRE SHIP ITSELF was missing, and Mario hadn't even the foggiest idea of what could have happened to it. He didn't know too much about the Palmeda Triangle, however, his mind instinctively turned to one place, and he scowled at the thought of it.

"Huh? You think Bowser had something to do with this?" the Goomba repeated Mario's mumbling, to which he nodded emphatically. "Hmm... You may be right... But still, I find it highly unsettling that you have no knowledge of leaving the ship at all..."

Mario's shoulders slumped as he rested himself against the bed, his head starting to hurt again from the stress. What a horrible mess he had gotten himself into this time... Usually when this sort of thing happened, he at least had a lead to go on, _something_ to let him know what it was he was supposed to do, where he was supposed to go. But he hadn't even a clue of what to do this time. Looking down at himself, he let out a small, plaintive laugh once he realized he was still wearing his tuxedo. At the very least, he was glad that his brother had reminded him to bring his regular clothing along in case he found himself in such a situation again, but it was a small, small plus.

"...Oh dear, don't look so down, Mario..." the Goomba said, once she noticed the look of distress that was displayed upon the plumber's face. "I might know someone who can help you..."

Mario's head perked up a bit at the Goomba's words.

"There's an old Shaman who lives in this village, she usually knows what to do when people here need help with something." the Goomba explained, grabbing Mario's attention. "With any luck, she can use her powers to help you figure out what you should do to find the princess and the others."

Mario hopped up in excitement at the news, thanking the stars that there happened to be a Shaman where he was. He quickly realized he hadn't even so much as thanked the Goomba yet for her hospitality, and he quickly set to work correcting that.

"Oh, you're welcome, anyone else would have done the same..." the Goomba replied modestly to Mario's thankfulness for her having nursed him back to health. "I didn't really do much anyways, besides get you off of the beach... Oh, but my name is Goombonnie, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Mario..."

Mario eagerly returned the sentiment, then asked a question he should've asked already.

"Oh, this is the village of Virona, it's a small seaside community on the outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom." Goombonnie explained. "We hardly ever get any visitors, probably because we're so out of the way... I think the only real way of getting here outside of trekking through the jungle is by boat, but you have to go through the Palmeda Triangle to get here, so it's incredibly rare for someone to come that way..."

Goombonnie's words made Mario think deeply. If he was still near where the Royal Toadstool disappeared, then that gave him hope that it couldn't be too far away from him. Still... According to the news, there was no sign of it anywhere, and even more troubling to Mario, his clothes seemed to have no water damage whatsoever, so if he had fallen overboard and washed to shore, then his tuxedo would've shrunk enough to give him a full body wedgie. Nothing seemed right about the situation, and the lack of answers and mounting pile of questions only served to make Mario more frustrated.

"Ah... I suppose this is a situation of urgency, so perhaps resting wouldn't be the best course of action after all..." Goombonnie said after a moment, to which Mario wholeheartedly agreed. "Let me show you to the Shaman... Although, perhaps you should change out of those clothes first? They don't look all that comfortable..."

Mario nodded in agreement, realizing that he had sand wedged in uncomfortable places anyhow. Goombonnie left the hut so Mario could change, and the plumber let out a heavy sigh as he began to strip off his tuxedo to reveal his usual outfit underneath. He could already tell, this was going to be the beginning of another long, long journey... Well, at least it'd no doubt make an interesting story to tell Luigi by the time he saw him again. A frown slowly came to Mario's lips, however, as he thought of his brother. He hoped Luigi wasn't too worried about him and the princess, though he know without a doubt that he was probably freaking out. At the very least, he hoped he wouldn't do anything rash. The last thing he needed on top of everything else was to know that his brother was in danger too thanks to him...

* * *

"Ugh, not _again_..."

Princess Peach paced precariously back and forth, particularly unpleased at her present predicament. "Kidnapped again, and on my own cruise ship, for pete's sake! I just don't understand how this keeps happening..."

"Now now, you mustn't blame yourself, princess." Toadsworth said reassuringly, trying in vain to calm the agitated princess down. "Why, I'm sure that any minute now, Master Mario will be barging in here to rescue us in his typical heroic manner.

The two of them, along with every other passenger on the ship, had been rudely hoarded into the ship's thankfully spacious cargo hold. By who, no one could figure out, as each and every one of them had mysteriously blacked out during the cruise, but they had all awoken in that one single room, everyone but Mario, that is. As it were, however, Peach and Toadsworth were being held in a smaller, separate room from the others, clearly whoever it was responsible for the whole thing having bigger plans for the two of them, or at least the princess.

"Toadsworth, if Mario was still on this ship, he would have already done that by now!" Peach said, giving the elderly Toad a look of scorn, which she instantly regretted. "Oh, I'm sorry, Toadsworth... I didn't mean for it to come out that way... But really, I just know something terrible must have happened to Mario, he's the only one who isn't here..."

"Princess..." Toadsworth looked at Peach with pity, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder as she sat back down and let out a heavy sigh. "Please, you shouldn't worry about Master Mario, you know full well how capable he is of handling himself. I don't believe anything truly terrible has happened to him, he always finds a way to overcome adversity."

"Oh, I know, Toadsworth..." Peach said, though her face merely slumped even further in her hands with worry. "I'm just so... So... So _SICK_ of this kind of thing happening to us! It's just not fair! This was supposed to be a fun, safe trip for all of us, and NOW look what I got us all into, yet again! Mario doesn't deserve this, you don't deserve this, and no one else on this ship deserves this! Stars alive, I'm such an idiot for making such a big deal about this whole thing, I might've well just advertised it as 'I'm out in the middle of nowhere, come and kidnap me!', for crying out loud!"

"P-Princess!" Toadsworth cried out at the Princess, not at all approving of the things she was saying. "Please, don't say such things! Now, I know that it seems unfair that this is always seemingly happening to you whenever you try to do anything, but it is in no way YOUR fault! It's just what happens when you're royalty, my dear..."

"Yeah, well I'm sick and tired of it." Peach pouted, folding her arms and shaking her head bitterly. "If it isn't Bowser, it's some other nutjob wanting to use me to further some dumb ancient prophecy or the like. This whole pure of heart business STINKS, I think I need to go out and get a tattoo or something, _ANYTHING_ to get that awful reputation away from me!"

"P-PRINCESS!" Toadsworth uttered in horror. "I-I'll have none of that from you, young lady! And besides, being pure of heart has nothing to do with being pure of body, you silly, silly girl! You can't just 'get rid of' it, it's something you're stuck with, I'm afraid."

"Gah, that's no fair!" Peach whined, slumping further in her seat.

"And why are you even decrying your pure-heartedness in the first place, princess?" Toadsworth said in a semi-scolding manner. "For all we know, this is just Bowser again, and we both know that means absolutely nothing to him, the foul beast that he is."

"Bleah, I almost _wish_ it was Bowser who did this, because Mario WOULD have already kicked his butt by now if it were him..." Peach stated, shaking her head in annoyance. "But this isn't his style, if it were Bowser, he would've made the loudest entrance possible to make sure everyone knew it was him, he's not the kind of guy to do something like this. No, it's probably another weirdo wanting me to help them destroy the world, they like doing things all dumb and 'mysteriously' like this. Man, I can't stand those guys..."

"Oh my..." Toadsworth said to himself in distraught, not at all liking the princess' assessment of the situation. "Those types of characters are the ones that Master Mario always seems to have such trouble with..."

"Yeah, I know..." Peach said, sighing again. "And here we are, with no way to help him, like usual. I don't suppose I'll be getting lucky again this time, and have some way to stay in contact with him..."

"Now now, I wouldn't jump to conclusions, dear girl."

Peach and Toadsworth were both put on high alert at the sound of a sudden, yet strangely familiar voice coming from seemingly nowhere.

"H-Huh? W-Who's there?" Toadsworth stuttered, raising his cane in front of him in defense of the princess. "Show yourself, you cad!"

"Oh, but what ever would be the fun in that?" the voice said slyly, laughing lightly to itself. "But don't worry, my dear princess, for you and your beloved Mario will be in contact with one another soon enough, I assure you... For now, however, I do believe it is time for a change of scenery, don't you agree, princess?"

Without any further warning, a strange, clear box appeared around Peach from out of nowhere, encasing the shocked princess in an instant. Despite the efforts of herself and the now panicked Toadsworth, she was unable to escape, and then as soon as the box had appeared, it vanished, taking Peach along with it.

"P-P-P-P-PRINCESS!" Toadsworth shouted, in absolute dread and horror.

"Don't worry, old man, your princess is in safe hands, she's merely... Being taken to another castle." the voice stated, letting loose another bout of laughter, as it seemingly disappeared from the scene as well.

"Princess...!" Toadsworth repeated, falling to his knees and clutching his heart. "N-No..."

* * *

Meanwhile, at that moment, somewhere far, far away...

A tall, hooded figure sat in the throne room of a dark, though strangely mechanical building. Gears and machines of all sizes clanked and groaned eerily from all around, the dull, bronze and silver metallic facade of the floor and walls shining dimly in what little bit of light there was in the room, all of which was being given off by candles, as the room's tall, skinny, arching windows seemed to give no light whatsoever from the other side. Nor was there any light shining in from the colossal, stained glass panes that lined the walls of the impossibly tall room, giving them all a creepy, shadowy appearance that obscured the no doubt beautiful pictures that they normally displayed.

Seated to the sides of the figure, in much smaller, less ornate seats, were four other hooded figures of varying shapes and sizes, with an empty seat amongst them.

"All is going according to plan, my liege..."

Breaking the spooky, dead silence that had previously permeated the cavernous room, another hooded figure appeared out of nowhere, in a box identical to the one that had taken Peach away, though it dissolved quickly as the figure got down on one knee and bowed regally to the taller figure in front of it.

"...So I take it they've all been accounted for, then?" the taller figure asked in a staticky voice, seemingly using some sort of machine to disguise their voice. Though nothing was visible, there did appear to be an odd, faint glow coming from within the figure's robe.

"It's getting there, my liege." the smaller figure replied, continuing quickly before the taller figure could say anything else. "The plumber and the princess have both been taken care of, now all that's left is the last one, and knowing him, he should be pathetically easy to deal with."

"...I see..." the taller figure stated after a moment of uncomfortable silence for the smaller figure. "I take it you'll be going after him now, then..."

"Of course, my liege..." the smaller figure said, bowing once again. "Rest assured, you made no mistake in 'recruiting' me for your cause... Whatever that may be."

"My, aren't we the perfect little suck up!" came the voice of one of the other figures, one that was tall and incredibly skinny in comparison to the others. In contrast to the androgynous voices of the first two figures, this one was noticeably female, though just barely.

"Hmm, yes, this one's nose is quite brown, oh yes, indeed!" chimed another figure, this one the shortest of the bunch. Like the first two, it wasn't clear whether it was a man or woman who owned the voice.

"You do know that does little more than irritate us, do you not?" added the biggest, widest figure, his voice having an odd echo to it but still clearly male.

"We have a special place for people like you where I come from, whelp." said the final figure, this one a deep, masculine baritone, to go along with his thick, manly figure.

"Now now, there's no need to be so jealous, my fellow... Fellows." the first figure said calmly, laughing. "After all, I'm sure you'll all have a chance to show you're worth something too... Eventually."

"Enough words, all of you!" the central figure said loudly, bringing all chatter in the room to a halt. "Joker, if you were expecting some sort of congratulations or pat on the back for your efforts thus far, then I'm afraid you're going to be highly disappointed. Finish your mission, and maybe then I'll have some kind words for you. Now, get back to what you were doing, and remember, do not harm ANY of them, do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, my liege." 'Joker' said, lightly bowing once more before turning to the others. "I'll see you fellows later, but do try not to screw things up too badly in my absence."

As Joker disappeared from view in another quickly vanishing box, the central figure turned to the two figures seated to its right.

"As for you two, do either of you have any reports from your field operatives as to the status of the Dream Caster yet?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." answered the large one, before the thick one could respond himself.

"Well, do tell then, Ace, I don't have all day." the central figure said impatiently, as 'Ace' deliberately hung on his words to annoy the thick figure. "And King, that silence better not be because you have no report..."

"Pah, don't be ridiculous." 'King' spat. "Of course I have a report, and I'm already sure it's MUCH more informative than that fool over there's. After all, _my_ underlings actually know what they're doing, unlike that bumbling idiot that HE employs!"

"Tell me then, you complete and utter stooge, why you felt it necessary to send out _four_ of your incompetent underlings when I required but one of mine?" 'Ace' shot back immediately.

"Stop it, both of you!" the central figure shouted, the light from inside its robe pulsating sharply, causing the other hooded figures to halt their squabbling immediately. "I will not have you start another argument with one another! Need I remind you that I can send you both right back where you were prior to this, and I don't think either of you would want that, now would you?" The two figures silently shook their heads no. "That's what I thought. Now, kindly inform me of your reports, and it doesn't matter who goes first, because I hate you both and nothing is going to change that."

"...Y-Yes..." Ace stuttered, swallowing hard before composing himself and giving the central figure his report. "Well, as you know, I sent out my top enforcer for the job, and needless to say, he's struck gold. Not only has he discovered the location of the Dream Caster, he is as we speak in the process of securing it for our glory, and I expect to hear back from him at any moment on the subject, as a matter of fact."

"Likewise, my team has reported the same thing." King added. "According to them, the Dream Caster was pathetically easy to find, but they've been held up in their acquisition of it thanks in no small part to that idiot's idiotic lackey."

"Funny, because my so called 'idiot' had the same thing to say about YOUR moronic team of imbeciles!" Ace sneered in response to King's claims.

"Oh, for the love of..." the central figure began, shaking its head in disbelief. "You two need to get your acts together, and so do your underlings! Both of you get in contact with them IMMEDIATELY and tell them to start working with one another, as they were SUPPOSED to have been doing from the start!"

"Y-Yes, right away, my... Leader..." Ace said quietly, not seeming to want to have to say that last word. King merely nodded in response, and both of them shuffled out of the room rather quickly.

"As for you two..." the central figure said once King and Ace had left the room, turning to the last two remaining figures. Their laughter at their colleagues' idiocy silenced in an instant. "Be ready, as soon as they find that Dream Caster, you two will be going after the next one."

"Please, do not be doing that thing of worrying. for I am ready beyond readiness for the road ahead, as well is my loyal minion, yes indeed!" said the smaller figure with a hearty chortle.

"Likewise, so will I..." added the skinny figure simply.

"Ah, but you no longer have a deliciously competent underling as the rest of us do, do you not, my 'Queen'?" the smaller figure stated. "You must be booing and hooing with the sadness inside, with perhaps a side order of regret to round out your meal of shame!"

"Don't you worry your ugly little head about things, 'Jack'..." 'Queen' said mockingly. "You're the last person who needs to know of my brilliant plans..."

"What did I just get done telling those other two fools about arguing?" the central figure said in annoyance, shutting Queen and Jack up. "...Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to attend to. I'll be back soon enough, so no slacking off in my absence."

With that, the central figure slowly made their way down the long walk to the room's humongous main set of double doors, opening them and closing them with a resounding, echoing slam. Soon after, Queen and Jack followed suit, leaving the room disturbingly quiet, other than the sounds of the gears and machines.


	8. Chapter 1, Part 1: A Peaceful Start?

Luigi and Yassie arrived at their destination in seconds flat thanks to Luigi's plumberly prowess. The two, along with Spooky, had emerged from the pipe to find themselves in a pleasant, lightly forested meadow, the sun still hanging brightly above them in the mostly cloudless sky while a calm breeze blew through the area. There was but one path in sight, a well-traveled dirt road that led into a small forest to the north, and in the northwestern distance past the treeline, there stood a tall, tall mountain, so high up that the top reached above the clouds. In short, it felt to Luigi as if he had stumbled into some sort of perfect setting from a storybook, a thought that started to itch at his mind once he realized that most of he and his brother's adventures seemed to begin in incredibly similar locations, but he didn't dwell on it too long. He was just happy to be anywhere other than New Appelle after all the unpleasant experiences he had already had in the city.

"Wow, that was INSANE!" Yassie exclaimed in utter amazement once she had exited the pipe. "I had heard that pipe travel was fast, but holy cow, that literally felt like it was in the blink of an eye!"

Luigi adjusted his cap and chuckled modestly. "Heh, yeah, I guess that's one of the very few advantages of being a plumber. Actually, I think that's probably the only advantage of being a plumber."

"Yeesh, if I'd known that, I would've just had my uncle take me to New Appelle, that would've saved a buttload on the train ticket..." Yassie muttered to herself, shaking her head. "Er, but anyways... Tee hee hee!" Yassie broke into an overly excited tittering fit before she could say anything more, causing Spooky to bound over to her and join in, wagging his tail to the rhythm of her hops. "I'm sorry, I'm just so giddy that I'm actually here doing this, I'm still halfway convinced this is all some kind of fever dream!"

Luigi could do little more than smile and nod his head in understanding. Inside, he probably felt just as giddy, as it had seemed like forever since he had last been able to go on an adventure of his own, without having to follow his brother. By all means, Luigi was completely content and comfortable to be a follower, but on those rare occasions where he had a chance to be the leader, he relished in it.

"Hoo... Okay, I think I've gotten myself under control." Yassie said after a moment, as she forced herself back into a calmer state, though Luigi could tell she was still absolutely beaming inside. "Anyways, woo, this place is GORGEOUS! It's been so long since I've been able to visit a place like this, to be able to breathe such fresh, unpolluted air." Taking a deep, almost snorting breath, Yassie soon after let out a long, contented sigh. "Ah... But yeah, this is part of Nimbi Grove, a small,wooded area on the outskirts of Nimbihurst that's said to be just as blessed as the town itself when it comes to good luck. And seeing it in person, I can easily believe it. I doubt we should have much trouble at all getting to Nimbihurst from here, there shouldn't be any enemies in these parts, and there's only the one, singular path that's in front of us that leads to the town, so there's no way we should get lost either."

Luigi was relieved to hear these things. "Whew, that's great to hear. At least we should have time to get our bearings and figure out a way to get the Dream Caster on the way there, then."

"Assuming it's actually there, of course." Yassie added lowly, before quickly perking back up. "But yeah, you're right, let's just take it nice and easy until we get there and enjoy the scenery, since it's never a good idea to rush into something without a plan."

Nodding in agreement, Luigi began to make his way leisurely down the dirt path, Yassie following close behind. Spooky, on the other hand, had other ideas in mind, and quickly rushed ahead of the two into the forest, yapping happily as his nose followed all the new, interesting smells that the area had to offer.

"Ah, Spooky, wait!" Yassie cried in alarm, looking at Luigi with fret, who strangely enough didn't seem particularly concerned. "Um, shouldn't we go after him, Luigi?"

Luigi shook his head. "Nah, he'll be alright. That's just... Kinda what he does. He just can't help himself, I guess. But he always seems to be able to find his way back to me, somehow, so I'm sure he'll come find us when he's good and ready."

Yassie looked curiously at Luigi for a moment before shrugging her shoulders in agreement. "Well, if you say so, Luigi..."

As the two entered the forest proper, the sunlight shining down through the treetop canopy was so bright that it didn't even feel as if they were walking through a forest at all. All around, the two could see and hear the pleasant, calming sounds of nature, with Spooky's distant yaps intertwined here and there. Thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere, the two discussed with each other what in particular they should try and do to convince the mayor to give up his priceless family heirloom, though neither could come up with one that seemed very satisfying.

"This is harder than I thought it'd be..." Luigi muttered after about twenty fruitless minutes. "I think the only idea so far that would even come close to working and not make us into cads would be to just tell him the truth and hope he believes us..."

Yassie shook her head and sighed dejectedly. "Yeah, but for all we know, he's gonna be one of those crotchety old jerks who doesn't believe anything and-LUIGI, _WATCH OUT!_ "

Before Luigi could react at all, Yassie had jerked him down to the ground from behind, allowing him to narrowly avoid the Koopa shell that had went whizzing straight for his head.

"What the-?!" Luigi cried in shock, glancing up in the direction the Koopa shell had shot.

"Ah, Luigi, behind you!" Yassie cried again, yanking him down once more before the unsuspecting plumber had time to do anything, this time causing him to just miss the dive kick of the Paragoomba that seemed to appear from out of nowhere. Yassie herself, however, was not so lucky, and she took the brunt of the Paragoomba's attack square on the nose, knocking her off balance onto her rear.

Y-Yassie!" Luigi uttered in horror, quickly glancing from Yassie to the Paragoomba. Scrambling in front of Yassie, Luigi pulled his hammer out and held it at the ready, spinning around to make sure no other enemies were on their way. Surely enough, another Paragoomba sprang out from the treetops, but this time, Luigi was ready, and whacked it dead center with his hammer as it dove for him, knocking it silly into a tree trunk. As he did this, however, he had taken his eyes off the Koopa, which quickly shot itself back at him from behind, knocking his feet out from underneath him and sending him crashing onto his back.

"Gah!" Luigi shouted in pain, putting his arms up in front of his face to try his best to block the kick of the remaining Paragoomba, which once again was diving right at him. Before it could reach him however, it was knocked off course by an egg, causing it to tumble to the ground, though it was quickly back up in the air, just as Luigi had made it back to his feet and given Yassie a thumbs up of thanks.

"H-Hey, what gives?!" Luigi yelled at the sudden assailants, glaring at the Koopa and Paragoomba as he prepared himself for another round of attacks. "Yassie, I thought you said we wouldn't run into any enemies around here!"

Yassie looked back at Luigi embarrassedly, nearly at a loss for words. "I... I don't know what to say! There haven't been any reports of people being attack anywhere near Nimbihurst in... Well, _ever!_ "

Luigi let out a groan. "Oh, great, that's probably not a good sign then..." Luigi had little time to contemplate any further on the situation, however, as the Koopa and Paragoomba quickly circled around him and Yassie in opposite directions in an effort to confuse them, the two barely managing to avoid their dual attacks and also being forced into an even tighter safezone.

Swiftly pulling out her camera, Yassie got to work tattling before either of the enemies had another chance to attack them. "I'm sure you know this, but that's a Paragoomba and a Koopa Troopa. Paragoombas have 2 HP, 1 Attack, and 0 Defense, but you can only reach them with your jump attack! ...Er, well, normally, at least... But anyways, if you stomp it, it'll lose its wings and become an ordinary Goomba, though that one's already weakened and any attack from us should be able to take it out. The Koopa, meanwhile, has 4 HP, 1 Attack, and 1 Defense, so don't bother trying to hit it with your hammer, since he'll just retreat into his shell. I don't think my eggs will be very effective against it either, so I think you should take him, and I'll get the Paragoomba! If you can manage to flip the jerk onto his back, his defense will become 0 and he'll be helpless, so look for an opening, Luigi!"

Luigi nodded in response, focussing squarely on the Koopa, as Yassie did the same with the Paragoomba. The enemies, none too pleased by Yassie's assessment of them, did their best to ruin that plan, with the Paragoomba heading for Luigi, and the Koopa launching itself at Yassie. The duo easily avoided their attacks this time, however, and quickly launched their assaults while the enemies were recovering from their own attacks. Yassie sidearmed an egg at the Paragoomba, but just barely missed it, while Luigi scrambled after the Koopa, managing to successfully hop on its head and knock it over helplessly onto its back just before it had a chance to see him coming.

The Paragoomba, in a fit of anger, divebombed itself headfirst at Luigi, but the plumber quickly ducked out of the way, causing the Paragoomba to smash headfirst into the vulnerable Koopa, the force of the impact so hard that it knocked the Paragoomba itself out like a light.

"Haha, oh wow, I'm kind of glad I missed my shot now, that was beautiful!" Yassie said with a giggle as she watched the Paragoomba take itself out of the fight.

The Paragoomba's attack didn't seem to be a very pleasant experience for the Koopa either, as it groaned in pain, still struggling mightily to get off of his back. Luigi wasn't about to let that happen, though, as he hopped atop the Koopa, dealing it even further pain. As he lifted his hammer up to deliver the decisive blow, however, he stopped himself momentarily, a question burning on his mind.

"Say, why in the world did you creeps attack us, anyways?" Luigi asked, holding his hammer menacingly in hopes of getting the Koopa to speak up.

"Yeah, I'd like to know why too, this place is supposed to be as serene and peaceful as they come." Yassie added, marching over to Luigi and the Koopa and folding her arms.

"Hngh..." the Koopa grimaced, not at all looking forward to receiving another whack on the belly. "...You guys... Ain't welcome here..."

"W-What?" Yassie exclaimed in confusion. "What are you talking about, I've never heard anything about Nimbihurst refusing visitors!"

"...Don't know... Don't care..." the Koopa responded painfully. "All we were told was that we weren't supposed to let no one through until the bosses found what they were looking for... Somethin' about not letting those octopus faced freaks steal all the glory or whatever... I don't know any more, honest..."

Luigi and Yassie looked at one another skeptically, neither of them sure whether they should actually believe the Koopa.

"...You guys gonna let me go now...?" the Koopa groaned, looking almost expectantly at the two as he continued to flail his arms and legs helplessly. "I mean, I did just help you guys out and all..."

"Yeah, and you also just tried to attack us for no good reason!" Yassie said in annoyance, shaking her head firmly. Luigi agreed, as he raised his hammer up to give the Koopa one good, final whack.

"Ah, crud..."

Smashing his hammer into the side of the Koopa's shell as if it were a golf ball, it slid and ricocheted violently into the trees, bouncing between them all like a pinball into the distance. Yassie and Luigi, meanwhile, looked at one another with troubled expressions.

"I have a really bad feeling about this..." Yassie exclaimed, frowning deeply as she recalled the Koopa's words.

"Yeah, me too..." Luigi said in agreement, his mustache drooping. "I think we may already be too late..."

"Don't say that!" Yassie said quickly, reprimanding Luigi. "Whoever it is that those guys were working for, it sounds like they haven't found the Dream Caster yet, so if we hurry, we might still have a chance to beat them to it!"

"Ah, you're right, let's go!" Luigi responded, and without any further discussion the two began to rush down the remainder of the forest path, Yassie taking the lead and practically dragging Luigi behind her in her haste. Along the way, however, they had to stop several time to deal with more groups of Goombas and Koopas who attempted to ambush them, though they were much more prepared for these encounters and dispatched with them all rather quickly. On the positive side, they also managed to find a few item blocks as well, adding another Mushroom and Honey Syrup to their collection. As the two reached what appeared to be the clearing to the forest's exit, their faces lit up.

"Finally, we're almost there, Luigi!" Yassie said in triumph, as she was able to make out the outline of the town in the distance through the clearing.

"I guess Spooky will just have to find us on the way back..." Luigi said with a tinge of sadness in his voice, though he knew they couldn't afford to wait for the pooch at that point. "I just hope he doesn't get too-"

" _ **HALT, VILE INTRUDERS!**_ "

Luigi had no time to finish the thought, as a sudden, booming voice rang out from above them, and they were both knocked back by a strong gust of wind as a shadowy figure jumped down from the canopy and landed between the duo and the exit. For a moment, the figure remained nothing but a silhouette, as it stood in front of the blindingly bright sun that shined from the exit, but after a moment for their eyes to adjust, Luigi and Yassie were able to make out the figure to be another Koopa, albeit a very odd looking one.

Opposed to the usual colors of red or green, this Koopa's shell was a bright, sky blue, which was matched in color by its boots, gloves, belt, and, strangest of all, mask. Though, honestly, it seemed more like just a bandana with eyes holes cut out in it, along with two holes in the back where a pair of short, orange pigtails stuck out. Nevertheless, the Koopa struck a menacing pose... Or at least, attempted to. In actuality, it stood in such a goofy manner that Luigi and Yassie were having trouble deciding whether they should take it seriously at all.

"Fools! Do not think that I would allow such disgusting villains as yourselves to set foot into the sacred village of Nimbihurst and befoul its beauty!" The Koopa exclaimed boldly after a moment of stunned silence, her voice clearly cracking as she attempted to make it sound as deep and menacing as possible.

"Villains? Oh, come on..." Yassie muttered impatiently. "We don't have time for this, just let us through unless you wanna get hurt like all your little 'buddies'!"

"Buddies...?" the Koopa asked in confusion, before quickly letting out a laugh of bravado. "Ha! You expect me to fall for such a pathetic trick? How naive do you believe me to be? You simpletons wouldn't be able to so much as lay a finger on my masters, even if they weren't super extremely busy at this very moment searching for the sacred treasure! You insult my and their honor by even SUGGESTING such a thing!"

"Geez louise, cut the dramatics, will ya?" Yassie said in annoyance at the Koopa's 'unique' manner of speech. "I don't know what in the world you're going on about, but obviously you must be on the same side as those other guys. We're kind of in a hurry though, and I'm afraid we can't let your little masters or whoever get their hands on that 'sacred treasure' if it's what we think it is, so if you don't want to get hurt, then step aside!"

"Again you insult me!" the Koopa yelled defiantly, not budging an inch. "To even suggest that I would let filth such as yourselves pass through unhindered is simply madness! I heard the two of you earlier, as you traipsed about the forest, coming up with your sinister, heinous plans to rob gran- _I MEAN_ the village elder of his sacred treasure! Do you truly believe I would let such insolence go unpunished?!"

"W-Wait, what?" Luigi stuttered, before realizing what the Koopa was talking about. "Wait, no, you've got it all wrong! We specifically decided NOT to do any of those things, because we're not bad people and would never stoop so low! If you'd just let us explain, we-"

"Do not even try to trick me with your honeyed words, fool!" the Koopa growled, sending her into a slight coughing fit before she did her best to recover and save face as if it hadn't happened. "E-Er, I would never in a million, billion years trust the words of one who looks as skeezy and untrustworthy as you, you mustachio twirling villain!"

"Skeezy and untrustworthy?" Yassie repeated incredulously. "Says the girl wearing a mask in public? What is WRONG with you? You obviously dropped out of your little eavesdropping session before hearing the whole thing, because everything Luigi said is true. we're not as pathetic as you and your masters' other little stooges are as to try and steal anything from anyone! We were just going to ask the guy to borrow it, but hey, why am I bothering trying to explain this to you? You're obviously completely delusional and have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Silence!" the Koopa spat, clearly past her breaking point due to Yassie's words. "It is YOU who are delusional if you think you can pull one over on me! I grow tired of mincing useless words, now comes the part where I make you fools regret your fiendish plan!"

With that, the Koopa entered into a battle stance, which was even goofier than her previous one. Sighing to themselves, Yassie and Luigi realized they were going to have one more fight on their hands before they reached Nimbihurst, and readied themselves appropriately.

"Let's see if you fools are prepared for THIS!" the Koopa exclaimed, and in the blink of an eye, seemingly vanished into the trees.

"W-What the heck?!" Yassie gasped, as she and Luigi looked around frantically for any sign of the Koopa.

"You fools!" the Koopa cried out suddenly, having reappeared behind the duo, throwing a barrage of what seemed to be sharpened and hardened Koopa Leaves at them, striking them both before either of them could see it coming.

"Yeowch!" Luigi winced, as he and Yassie grasped their bottoms in pain from where the leaves had struck them. As they whipped around ready to counter attack, however, the Koopa had vanished yet again, this time reappearing above them and showering the two with another barrage of leaves.

"Ha, far too easy, just as I expected! You're no match for my flurry attack!" the Koopa laughed as she disappeared once more into the trees.

"Luigi, this isn't working, let's split up!" Yassie cried, to which Luigi nodded, the duo hastily scrambling away from each other to opposite ends of the clearing.

"Take this!" the Koopa shouted, reappearing from the treeline once again, and sending out another flurry of leaves... Where the duo had previously been standing. "W-Wait, no, you're not supposed to do that!" the Koopa cried in frustration once she noticed that the duo had split up. Before she could properly react, Yassie had sent an egg straight at her, nailing her in the head before she could retract it into her shell. "W-W-Wah! Th-That's not fair! That's not honorable at all!" she whined as she rubbed her head gingerly.

"Oh yeah, and your little disappearing act is?" Yassie retorted, rolling her eyes. "We're just evening the playing field!"

"Grr..." the Koopa growled, clenching her fists angrily. "...Fine, if that's how you're going to play, then I guess I have no choice! Get a load of _this_!"

The Koopa suddenly began to sprint towards Yassie at a blinding speed, penetrating her defenses as she delivered a precisely aimed slide kick.

"Oof!" Yassie grunted, falling over as she clutched her ribs in pain. "Hngh, h-how did you-"

"Ha, no defense in the world is a match for my ninja training, let alone one as pathetic as yours!" the Koopa proclaimed, laughing at Yassie's plight. While she did so, however, Luigi took the opportunity to rush up behind her and attempt a surprise jump attack to knock her over. The Koopa, however, heard him coming and dashed out of the way before he could do so, causing the plumber to stumble forward and land awkwardly. In the meanwhile, the Koopa took advantage of the situation and sent another leaf attack at the duo while they were once again nearby each other.

The Koopa sneered smugly to herself as she watched the two hop up and down in pain. "I cannot even remember the last time I faced a pair of fools as foolish as you! I'm not even breaking a sweat here!"

Yassie sneered back at the Koopa, though in a much angrier manner. "Yeah, real big talk, girl..." Yassie's sneer slowly morphed into a grin. "But now I know your secrets."

"Ha, you wish!" the Koopa spat, clearly not phased by Yassie's claim at all.

Grabbing her video camera, Yassie pointed it squarely at the Koopa. "What an irritating girl... She's younger than I am, but she acts like she's all big and intimidating. She thinks she's hot stuff, but I can prove that she isn't. Her HP is 10, Attack is 1, and Defense is 1, so all she has over a normal Koopa is a little more HP. Her flurry attack is a pain and can hit us both simultaneously, but only when she has the element of surprise on her side. Her other attack though, that slide kick, seems to be defense piercing... So you'd better be ready to superguard it, Luigi. Other than that, if you can get her flipped over, she should be just as defenseless as any other Koopa, and then we can show HER who's the fool!"

The Koopa looked back at Yassie with a hint of uneasiness on her face, but quickly replaced it with her usual bravado. "Ahaha, y-you think you know all of my secrets?! What a laugh! Uh... Yeah, so, take this!"

Once more, the Koopa disappeared into the brush, though this time, Luigi and Yassie had ample time to split up again, and the Koopa's leaf barrage harmlessly hit the ground they had previously been located at. While the Koopa looked around frantically for the two, Yassie sent a volley of eggs at her, and she just barely managed to dance out of the way of each of them. While she was distracted, Luigi once again tried sneaking up behind her, but the Koopa heard his footsteps like last time, and swiftly escaped unharmed.

"Grr, you think you can get away with such a tactic?!" the Koopa sputtered, dashing towards Luigi. Though he was anticipating it, he couldn't time his superguard right, and was plowed into by the Koopa's slide kick.

"Pathetic!" the Koopa said, before launching herself at Yassie again. Yassie, however, was ready for it that time, and managed to land a perfect superguard, socking her right in the face before she could initiate her slide kick. She did, however, manage to retain her balance, though just barely. Rushing after the Koopa to take advantage of her temporary wooziness, Yassie nonetheless came up just short with her egg attack, as did Luigi with his stomp attempt as the Koopa ran past him.

"Hrgh... Perhaps we are more evenly match than I thought..." the Koopa muttered, shaking her head angrily. "But only because you two are totally big fat cheaters!"

Yassie couldn't help but let out a giggle at the Koopa's outlandish claim. "Ha, not sounding so high and mighty now, are you?"

The Koopa shot Yassie an icy glare, her tone of voice radically different, now high-pitched and whiny, with no attempt whatsoever to mask it. "Sh-Shut up! I'm not gonna let you jerks anywhere NEAR my hometown!"

Dashing towards Luigi again, the Koopa suddenly thought the better of it and instead made a u-turn into the trees. However, all Luigi and Yassie had to do was merely move out of the way and they easily avoided the Koopa's flurry attack. Again, however, they failed to actually hit her themselves, as she was just too quick on her feet for either of them to touch.

"Geez... She may not be able to hit us anymore, but we still can't hit her, either!" Luigi said, glancing at Yassie fretfully.

"Just... Keep it up, she'll wear down eventually!" Yassie responded after a moment, not sounding particularly confident in that claim.

And so it continued for several minutes, neither side able to hit the other, and luckily for Yassie, she seemed to be correct, as the Koopa was beginning to noticeably slow down.

Unfortunately, so were Yassie and Luigi.

"Yassie, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!" Luigi wheezed, as he missed yet another, sloppier stomp attempt.

"Just... Keep going, she's... She's bound to run out of steam eventually...!" Yassie huffed back, her eggs missing by considerably wider margins now.

"Idiots... I never... Grow tired...!" the Koopa gasped in between breaths, and though she was visibly slowing down, she still seemed to be in slightly better shape than Luigi and Yassie.

"Yassie... I don't think this is working..." Luigi said, doing his best to catch his breath and keep his eye on the Koopa at the same time.

"...Argh, I know, but... What else is there that we can do?" Yassie replied in frustration.

"I'll tell you what: Nothing!" the Koopa shouted, as she began to dash towards Luigi. "But there IS something I can do! Now that you're both so tired, neither of you will have the energy to counter my slide kick! Say good night, skeezy!"

Before the Koopa could reach Luigi, however, she, along with Luigi and Yassie, were distracted by the sudden appearance of... A swarm of butterflies?

"What in the world?" the Koopa said to herself in bewilderment at the sight of the butterflies, who all seemed to be frantically fluttering away from... Something. "I've never seen so many butterflies in one place before... What could possibly have disturbed them so much as the make them all-"

" _ **YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP!**_ "

The Koopa let out a gasp of horror as she turned around just in time to be slammed into by Spooky, the Butterfly Wrustler, who pinned her to the ground and helpfully coated her face and mask in slobber before quickly taking back off after the butterflies.

"N-No...! This... This cannot be!" the Koopa cried, quickly dropping her act again as she began struggling to right herself off of her shell. "N-Not fair! Totally not fair! Th-This is complete and utter garbage!"

Luigi and Yassie, who stared on in dumfounded shock, quickly burst into simultaneous fits of laughter.

"S-Stop it! Stop laughing, you jerks!" the Koopa cried, still unable to do anything more than wiggle her limbs fruitlessly.

"Oh man, that... That just happened." Yassie said in between laughs, still stunned at what she had just seen. "...That did just happen, didn't it?"

"I think so, yeah..." Luigi responded, never happier to have seen Spooky than he was at that very moment. "I don't know how, but it did..."

"Gah, stop it, you... You... Big fat smelly dingoloids!" the Koopa wailed, struggling mightily and only managing to wear herself out further in the process.

"Well, what do you think we should do now, Luigi?" Yassie asked, walking over to the Koopa and grinning oh-so-smugly down at her once her laughter had finally fully subsided.

"Hmm..." Luigi pondered to himself as he too walked over to the Koopa, who looked rather pitiful in her current state, a far cry from the horrible beast she had been not even a minute prior. Looking up at Yassie, he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess there's no real point in doing anything else, let's just leave her here, she's not going to have the energy to right herself for a while."

"N-No, don't you dare!" the Koopa shrieked in defiance, which Yassie and Luigi merely ignored.

"Aw, can't we just rough her up a little?" Yassie asked, semi-jokingly, before slumping her shoulders and agreeing with Luigi. "Oh, alright... But let this be a lesson to you and whoever you work for, girl, you don't mess with us. _Got it_?"

"P-Please, no, don't leave me like this!" the Koopa wailed, her limbs already beginning to go numb. "You can't take the sacred treasure, you _CAN'T_! I... I won't let you!"

"You don't really seem to be in any state to make such claims, unfortunately." Yassie said, waving goodbye to the Koopa in a self-satisfactory manner as she and Luigi made their way past her and out of the forest. "But don't worry, we'll put it to good use, much better than whatever you freaks are planning on using it for! Bye now!"

"No, noooooooo!" the Koopa screamed, continuing until her voice went hoarse. Limbs hanging limply in defeat, the Koopa contemplated the words that Luigi and Yassie had been saying for the first time. "...Wait, what freaks...?"

It didn't take Luigi and Yassie very long at all to get to Nimbihurst once they had exited the forest, and after sharing a mushroom between the two of them, they both felt good as new as they surveyed their new surroundings, wary in case they stumbled into any other sudden trouble.

The town of Nimbihurst was about as quaint and picturesque as a place could ever hope to be. A decidedly small place, its size only added to the cozy atmosphere of the seaside town, and the view of the sea on one side, the giant mountain on another, and a lush, sprawling forest surrounding the rest was an absolutely breathtaking sight. The town itself was layed out in a circular pattern, a large, bronze statue of a strong, important looking Koopa holding a sword displayed proudly in the center of the cobblestone streets that lined the town square. The buildings and houses, though few, each had their own unique, inviting looks to them, though they all had the same, rustic charm that the rest of the town as a whole seemed to radiate. The only thing that either Luigi or Yassie could notice about the town that seemed off in any way were the townsfolk. Or rather, the complete and utter lack of them.

"This is Nimbihurst, the most pleasant town in the Mushroom Kingdom." Yassie began, as she and Luigi stood in the town square, looking all around for any sign of life. "Or at least, so they say. Looking at this place though, I can definitely see how it got such a lofty title. Strange though, I figured there would be people out and about right now, it's so nice out today. Then again, it's probably like this everyday in Nimbihurst, so maybe the townsfolk are just used to it and figure they can come out whenever... Anyways, other than the few residential houses, there's an item shop, an inn, and a Town Hall, which I'm guessing is the first place we should be heading if we want to find the mayor. The statue, by the way, is supposed to be of the town's founder, but I get the feeling they may have taken a few liberties with its design... But regardless, to the south is Nimbi Grove, to the east is the sea, and to the west is Mount Manjaw, the world's longest dormant volcano. Legends state that there's also supposed to be an incredible treasure somewhere inside it as well, since that seems to be the favorite type of rumor people like to spread in the Mushroom Kingdom. Last I heard, the base had become something of a tourist attraction, though obviously no one's allowed inside the volcano itself, dormant or not."

Nodding along to Yassie's info, Luigi couldn't help but feel a shiver roll up his spine due to the town's eerie, empty atmosphere. "Yeah, this place seems swell and all, but it almost feels like a ghost town... So uh, l-let's just hurry up and find the mayor before any actual ghosts show up, shall we?"

"Oh, don't be so silly, Luigi, I'm sure everyone's just inside, for whatever reason." Yassie said with a dismissive hand wave at Luigi's claim. "But yes, we should show a bit of urgency if there really are other people around here searching for the Dream Caster, so let's go check out Town Hall."

And so Luigi and Yassie made their way towards the Town Hall, Luigi walking at a much brisker pace than usual. The building itself was the largest in Nimbihurst, though it shared the same unpretentious sense of facade as all the other buildings in town. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Luigi and Yassie made their way inside the building, which distressingly enough, seemed to be just as empty as it was outside. The building itself seemed much smaller inside, as they stood in a modest waiting room, with a few chairs and tables and an unoccupied receptionist's desk in the back. A short hallway ran off to the east, and there was a singular, closed door to the north to the side of the receptionist's desk, which had a small name plaque on it indicating that it was likely the mayor's office.

"H-Hello?" Luigi called out, knowing he wouldn't get an answer, but still whimpering at the non-response all the same.

"...Okay, so maybe Town Hall is just closed today." Yassie said quietly, trying to think up reasons as to why the whole town seemed deserted.

"B-But the door was unlocked..." Luigi reminded, to Yassie's chagrin.

"...W-Well, maybe the mayor is in but everyone else isn't..." Yassie stuttered, less than convincingly. "You know, in case of emergencies... Or... Something."

Luigi merely let out another wheezy whimper as the two walked over to the northern door, where they could make out that the plaque indeed read 'Mayor Koover'. Luigi gave a few light knocks on the door, and the two waited with baited breath for anyone to answer. They didn't have to wait very long. Almost immediately, the door opened, and out hobbled a skinny, older looking male Koopa with a dull navy blue shell and a graying, drooping mustache. Unfortunately, he seemed none too pleased to have visitors, and immediately began to poke and prod poor Luigi with his cane, backing him and Yassie away from the doorway.

"I already told you, I AIN'T gonna go along with your dumb-" the Koopa began, suddenly cutting himself off and doing a double take once he actually had noticed who it was he was assaulting. "...Oh, wait, you two don't look like you're with either of those awful groups... But then, just who in the world are you? We ain't had visitors here in ages!"

Luigi and Yassie looked at one another dumbfoundedly, neither exactly sure of what to say.

"...Er, would you believe it if we were to say we're heroes here to save the world from an unspeakable calamity?" Luigi asked awkwardly, after a few tense, uncomfortable moments of silence.

"...Heroes?" the Koopa repeated, blinking rapidly, to which Luigi and Yassie both nodded. "... _ **HEROES?!**_ " the Koopa repeated again, though this time with a voice and face filled with an unspeakable rage that made Luigi's heart simultaneously sink and rise into his throat. "THE LAST THING THIS TOWN NEEDS RIGHT NOW IS ANYMORE SO-CALLED 'HEROES'! I ALREADY LOST MY GRANDDAUGHTER AND THE WHOLE REST OF MY BELOVED TOWN TO THOSE OTHER IDJIT "HEROES', I AIN'T ABOUT TO LET YOU BRAINWASH ME TOO! NOW YOU TWO JUST GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I SICK OL' CHOMPERS ON YA!"

With one final, particularly hard thrust from his cane into Luigi's chest, the Koopa slammed his office door in a flourish, leaving Luigi and Yassie standing in stunned, utter silence.

Yassie blinked in confusion. "...Well, that could have went better."


	9. Chapter 1, Part 2: Not So Lucky Town

"Well, what now?"

Luigi looked back at Yassie and frowned deeply. He wasn't sure how to answer her question, far from it. In all the potential situations that Luigi had run through his mind when it came to possible complications with the mayor, this was certainly one he had never thought of. He and Yassie were still milling around in the empty lobby of the Town Hall, neither of them too keen on trying to talk to the mayor again lest they incur the wrath of 'Chompers', which the two of them presumed wasn't merely a cute nickname for his dentures.

"Hmm... This could be a problem." Yassie said, stating the obvious. " _Something_ wrong is obviously going on here, but I get the feeling that we're not going to have even the slightest clue _what_ that something is without the mayor's help."

"W-Well, we could at least look around the rest of the town to see if there's anyone else around that can help us..." Luigi suggested, not wanting to so much as attempt to talk to the mayor again unless it was their last resort.

"I suppose so." Yassie concurred, putting her hand to her chin thoughtfully. "It's not like we have anything to lose at this point."

And so, Luigi and Yassie made their way out of the mostly abandoned Town Hall and back into the lonely husk of Nimbihurst. Walking the empty streets, the two peeked in windows and knocked on the doors of all the residential houses, predictably drawing no response out of any of them. Even the item shop and the inn were completely abandoned, though they were both still technically open, apparently employing honor systems as to the use of their services, as judged by the notes left behind by their owners. Luigi and Yassie decided against buying anything from the shop however, due to the worryingly off-putting smells that seemed to be coming from most of the items, and they obviously had no time to be resting at the inn. And so it was that they quickly found themselves hemming and hawing in front of the door to the mayor's office once more, not a single iota wiser as to what was going on with the town.

"Nothing about this town seems very lucky to me..." Luigi muttered, not at all impressed by the apparent utopia that Yassie and E. Gadd had painted Nimbihurst as.

Yassie frowned and shook her head in agreement. "No, it doesn't really seem that way... But that just makes this whole situation all the creepier. There have literally never been any instances recorded of anything even REMOTELY bad happening here, so I'm almost inclined to think that whatever caused the townsfolk to disappear, that it was voluntary..." Yassie's suggestion sparked another thought in her mind as well. "Come to think of it, the mayor DID mention something about us trying to brainwash him or whatever... And something about some other apparent 'heroes' stealing his granddaughter and the rest of the town..."

Luigi let out a groan of dissatisfaction over the situation. "Yeesh, so we're apparently villains according to that nut of a Koopa in the forest, and the heroes around here steal and brainwash people? This place is starting to seem even more messed up than New Appelle..."

"Well, we're probably never gonna figure out what the heck is going on around here if we can't get an audience with the mayor, let alone find out anything about the Dream Caster." Yassie said. "We _have_ to talk to him, Luigi, I have an awful feeling that whatever's going on in this town is directly connected to that shadowy group that Merlon saw in his vision."

Luigi gulped hard. "Oh, jeez... I have an awful feeling too, that we're about to get barked up the wrong tree, or worse..."

"Come on, Luigi, this is nothing!" Yassie said, urging Luigi to man up a little. "This is only the first sign of adversity we've encountered, and it's sure to be absolutely miniscule in comparison to what we're no doubt going to have to contend with in the future. If we can't even do something as simple as talk to an old man, then what are we even doing on this quest?"

Luigi sighed. He knew Yassie spoke the truth, and realized he was just going to have to bite the bullet on this one. "Alright, alright..." he muttered, as he slowly made he way back over to the mayor's door and hesitantly outstretched his arm, giving it the most tentative and impotent of knocks. The response from the other side, however, was anything BUT tentative and impotent.

"You again?!" came the agitated voice of the crotchety old Koopa, who leered out at the duo from his doorway with nothing but disgust in his gaze. "You idjits don't hear too good, do ya?!"

"W-Wait, please, Mr. Mayor, just listen to us, we're not-" Yassie began to plead, but the old man was having none of it.

"I warned you fools what would happen if you came back, didn't I?!" the mayor shouted, before abruptly stepping out into the lobby and letting out a shrill whistle. "CHOMPERS, C'MERE, BOY! I'VE GOT SOME NICE, TASTY INTRUDERS FOR YA!"

Luigi and Yassie let out simultaneous cries of horror at the sound of ferocious barking coming from the hallway in response to the mayor's whistle, and the two of them were gearing up for an impromptu battle... That is, until they saw the source of said ferocious barking. Bursting out from the door at the end of the small hallway was a Chain Chomp, but it had certainly seen better days. And perhaps 'bursting' from the doorway was a bit of a stretch, as it was probably more of a 'squeezing its pudgy body through the doggy door' of the doorway than anything. And the poor thing seemed to have trouble just doing that alone, by the time it had reached the other end of the hallway where the lobby was, its dull, greying body looked positively pooped, and its ferocious barking had died down to some vaguely threatening wumps. At the sight of Luigi, it promptly hopped over to him and began to viciously... Nap. Vicious in the sense that it had layed down on one of his feet, which would surely lose its circulation and go numb fairly quickly if Luigi didn't move it for a few minutes.

"Um..." Luigi began, not quite sure of what to make of the situation.

"Oh, for Grambi's sake, Chompers!" the mayor fumed, glaring down at the peacefully slumbering Chomp. "Some guard Chomp you are! Is it any wonder my poor Kobaltia got taken away from me so easily?"

The Chomp, rather than respond to the old Koopa's chastising, merely settled itself into Luigi's foot more comfortably, letting out a contented noise once it had found its comfort zone.

"Bah, so what?!" the Koopa yelled, not seeming particularly phased by this turn of events. Raising his cane, he pointed it threateningly at Luigi, eager to poke some more holes in him. "I don't need no mutt to fight my battles for me, I can take you two down all on my own! I'm a Koover, after all! Ain't no one tougher than us!"

As the mayor went to deliver a devastating poke to Luigi, who was unable to move due to his foot being occupied by a two ton Chomp, another unexpected visitor arrived to interrupt it, having also heard the Koopa's whistling call to arms.

"ARF ARF!"

Spooky burst through the main doorway, by which of course is meant that he phased right through it in a particularly forceful manner, bounding straight for the mayor, from whom he quickly snatched the cane, presuming it to be a stick that was just ripe for fetching, sparing Luigi from any further pain.

"Hey! Give that back to me, you mangy mutt!" the Mayor yelled in anger at the Polterpup, who merely looked up at him playfully, waiting for him to try and grab the stick back. "You villainous scumbags! I should've known you'd have backup!"

"Oh my gosh, _WE ARE NOT VILLAINS_!" Yassie said in exasperation, tired of being called by such an unflattering title. "If you'd just stop and LISTEN for a moment, you'll realize we don't mean you or your town any harm!"

"A likely story!" the mayor spat, as he tried in vain to snatch his cane back from Spooky. "That's what those other clowns all said, and just look where that's gotten my poor town! You ain't gonna fool me again!"

"Oh, come on!" Yassie groaned. "Don't you think if we wanted to do you any harm, we would've done so by now? Especially now that you're so, er, 'vulnerable'?"

"You're probably just waiting for me to let my guard down!" the mayor replied, finally managing to yank his cane back from Spooky's grasp, the Polterpup quickly getting distracted by Chompers in the meantime. Now rearmed, the mayor hastily did his best to wipe the sticky coat of ghost saliva off of the cane, making sure not to take his eyes off of Luigi or Yassie for an instant. "Grargh, I'll have you know this is my prized possession your mutt just slobbered all over and tried to make off with! You're even more fiendish than I thought, you won't even spare an old man of his few remaining worldly possessions, you even want to take them away from me now, don't you?!"

Luigi and Yassie cast curious sideways glances at one another at the words 'prized possession', though they made sure to hide their suddenly piqued interest from the mayor.

"Er, I don't think he was going to make off with it, Mr. Mayor." Luigi said, scratching his neck and chuckling nervously. "But I uh, apologize for his... Slobbering. Honest, sir, we're not villains, we really ARE he-" Luigi quickly cut himself off as he saw the mayor begin to point his cane once more in a threatening fashion towards him. "I-I mean, w-we really do have the world's best interests in heart! You see, we're... Well, i-it's kind of a long story, but basically, we're looking for a... Thing, a very powerful thing, and we have to find it before these other, really bad people get their hands on it."

"Yes, and I have a feeling these other bad people may have been the ones who were passing themselves off as heroes to you before, sir." Yassie continued quickly, before the mayor had a chance to start raising cane OR raise his cane again. "Heck, WE got attacked by their lackeys just trying to get here! That's the reason you haven't had any visitors in forever, mayor, because they have all their goons hanging out in the forest to keep everyone who tries to enter away!"

"...I figured as much." the mayor grumbled, shaking his head in disgust at Yassie's words but thankfully shifting into a seemingly more civil mood. Sighing, he looked at the two no longer with anger, but with extreme weariness. That weariness, somehow, managed to morph into an even drearier expression of anxious fret as he asked, "...Tell me, these goons, they... They didn't happen to have a young, blue shelled, female Koopa wearing a ridiculous 'ninja' outfit amongst them, did they?"

Luigi and Yassie looked at each other in curiosity, before nodding in confirmation to the mayor. "Yes sir." Yassie said. "She thought we were evil too, and kept saying she wouldn't let us into Nimbihurst. Do you know who she is?"

Letting out another deep, depressed sigh, the mayor walked over to the secretary's chair and slumped down into it like a sack of potatoes. "...Yes, she's my granddaughter, Kobaltia... I'm afraid she bought into those weirdos' propaganda even more than the rest of the townsfolk did, they've pretty much turned her into one of them at this point... Oh, if only she wasn't so easily impressionable..."

Luigi and Yassie both looked at the mayor with sadness. By this point, Spooky had finally given up on trying to wake the decrepit old Chomp up, and had merely settled for getting him off Luigi's foot, much to the Chomp's annoyance. Nevertheless, the Chomp hobbled over to its master and leaned up against him in a sympathetic manner before quickly falling back asleep.

"Gosh, that sounds terrible, Mr. Mayor..." Yassie exclaimed, feeling very sorry for the old Koopa. "But um, what in the world happened here, exactly, if you don't mind us asking? From all I've ever heard, Nimbihurst is supposed to be a paradise, not... Whatever it is right now."

"Ah, just call me Kolby." the mayor said, eking out a small smile. It quickly faded, however, as he began his explanation. "I'm not rightly sure where to begin though, when it comes to trying to figure out what exactly happened here... But I suppose it all started about a month ago, if memory serves... Like you said, Nimbihurst has been a paradise since long before I was even hatched, and has been ever since my very first ancestor, the great hero Kardarius Koover, that's his statue outside, founded the town. Heck, we're so used to nothing bad ever happening around here, that I suppose that's partially why this all happened in the first place. You see, the townsfolk here, they're a nice, friendly bunch for sure, but due to the sheltered nature of life that they've always lived in Nimbihurst, they're also quite prone to incredible flights of fancy, and the moment anything remotely interesting happens around here, they latch onto it as if it were the most exciting thing to ever happen."

Walking over to a window, Kolby sighed wistfully at the sight of the barren, empty streets as he continued. "But it's been mostly peaceful here, and everyone was happy with that. At least, I _THOUGHT_ that everyone was happy with it. I should've realized that my granddaughter wasn't the only one in town who was sick of how quiet it was around here... But anyways, yes, it all began about a month ago, everyone was just going about their business as usual when suddenly, we heard a deep, loud rumbling sound. Most of the townsfolk had no worldly idea what had caused it, but I knew instantly what it was... Mount Manjaw. Now, it's widely known that Nimbihurst is supposed to be blessed with good luck, having never suffered a natural disaster in its entire existence, some people say it's because of some sort of mystical treasure that my ancestor discovered, but that story's nothing but old hogwash. However, there's another supposed legendary treasure that's said to rest in the bowels of Mount Manjaw, and that's the one all the townsfolk love to go on and on about all the time. Apparently it's some sort of thingy that can make whoever finds its dreams come true, or some other such nonsense. It's always being changed and warped by the townsfolk and tourists, so goodness even knows how such a rumor started in the first place. Anyways, while they all thought nothing of the rumble, I knew what it meant... It signaled the end of Nimbihurst, if not the entire world."

Luigi and Yassie gasped in shock at this news. "W-What?! What are you talking about, Mayor Kolby?" Yassie asked. "I've never heard anything about Mount Manjaw rumbling being a sign of the end times!"

"That's because its been kept a closely guarded secret." Kolby replied, slinking back down into the chair and burying his face in his hands. "It's something my family has kept to themselves forever, out of fear that it'd cause panic amongst the townsfolk. Of course, I always thought it was nothing but nonsense, just like the whole ancient treasure malarkey, but after everything that's happened since, I... I don't know anymore... Along with the legend of my ancestor's treasure being the thing that's kept the town safe all this time, there was also another legend... One that stated that the volcano rumbling heralded a great coming calamity, one that my ancestor's treasure had no hope of preventing. Apparently, it was something my ancestor learned of as a result of finding the treasure. Now, I wasn't going to bother telling the townsfolk any of this, especially since I thought it was a load of guff in the first place, but then... Things started happening. Bad things. A few days after the volcano rumbled, we were... Attacked... Though, I'm not sure if I could even call it that. A band of thuggish Koopas and Goombas and their ilk barged their way into town, causing havoc and mischief all around, the townsfolk running around like a bunch of headless chickens due to their never having been in such a situation before. I tried to get them to settle down, but they of course wouldn't listen."

Growling, Kolby raised his gaze and slammed his fist on the table in anger. "Then, _they_ showed up. Those no-good, rotten, lousy, lyin', stinkin' Koopa Brothers! Them and their fat little horn-headed, goggle-wearing Ratooey 'sensei'! They just showed up out of the blue, and suddenly they're using their fancy shmancy 'ninja skills' to fight the thugs off! Only, I swear there was somethin' off about the whole thing, like the entirety of it was staged! While all the rest of the townsfolk, my poor granddaughter among them, were being amazed and wowed by their little show, _I_ was the only one who seemed to notice that the thugs were practically throwing themselves into those Koopa Brothers' attacks, and then flying away like they got hit by a train from the simplest, weakest punches! And then, just when it seemed that they had beaten all the thugs, about a hundred more flooded in from the forest and surrounded everyone, and those Koopa Brothers were pretending to be all scared and worried, until this giant, flying, metal monstrosity suddenly blocked out the sun and dropped off an even goofier looking bunch of color coded idiots, those confounded Axem Rangers! Then they started fighting the thugs alongside the Koopa Brothers, and they looked even WORSE, most of their attacks weren't even connecting with the thugs, but somehow they were all flying off into the distance like they had been shot out of a cannon! This went on for a half hour before they finally managed to 'drive the thugs off', or more like ordered them all to leave... After that though, all the townsfolk crowded around them all and started callin' them heroes, they even forced me to hold two separate parades AND a feast in their honor!"

As Kolby told his story, Luigi frowned deeper and deeper as he wracked his brain as to why the Koopa Brothers and Axem Rangers sounded so familiar to him. He grimaced as it suddenly hit him. "Oh no, I think I know who both of those groups are... My brother fought them both a while back, during completely different adventures. And you're right, Kolby, unless they've all suddenly decided to turn over new leaves, there's nothing heroic about any of them."

"I knew it." Kolby responded with a grimace of his own. "I knew there was something wrong about 'em, if only the rest of the town could have seen past their 'cool' exteriors... But no, they became the talk of the town in an instant, and they pretty much moved in. And what would you know, as soon as they did, more and more groups of thugs started showing up, every day at seemingly the same exact time, and their fights always seemed to last for exactly a half hour before the 'thugs' all got tired and went home for the day. Pretty soon, it became a daily ritual for the townsfolk to all sit and watch as those idiots all pretended to fight each other. I guess since none of them had ever seen actual fighting before outside of TV, no one could tell how awful and choreographed it all looked. All they cared about was how cool they apparently looked and sounded, my granddaughter being one of the worst ones tricked. Once they showed up, she never shut up about how 'awesome' the Koopa Brothers were, it was like she had been brainwashed. And all the time, all either group would say as to why they were there was that they had both just happened to be passing through when they stumbled upon the first group of thugs. I knew that was nothing but hot garbage though, and so I poked and prodded at 'em all until they finally admitted what they were really here for."

Luigi and Yassie both knew what Kolby was about to say. "The ancient treasure. Er, that is, the one that's supposed to be in the volcano." Kolby said. "According to the Ratooey, with his 'buhuhuh'ing and weaselly words, the leaders of all the thugs, apparently a great, red fat man with a sinister mustache, was currently in the volcano as he spoke, and he was the reason that it had rumbled, because he was trying to find the ancient treasure inside to use for nefarious deeds, and doing so upset the volcano. He claimed that if he were to get his hands on it, the volcano would erupt and bury all of Nimbihurst in magma, and so they were there to stop him before he had a chance to do so. He claimed the only reason they hadn't done so already was because someone had to stay behind to guard the 'poor, defenseless townsfolk' in case the thugs showed up again, because apparently after a half hour of 'fighting' they couldn't do anything else for the rest of the day. This is around the point where the two groups started arguing with each other over who should be forced to stay behind to guard the town while the other group went into the volcano to find the treasure and stop the red guy, and soon enough it become a ridiculous civil war, with half of the town taking the Koopa Brothers' side and the other half siding with the Axem Rangers. Those moronic brothers even convinced my granddaughter to join them as the fifth member of their ghastly group, presumably because they needed a fifth member to even out the sides with the Axems and she was the only Koopa in town with a shell that wasn't green or red, not counting me, of course."

"After that, it started getting real ugly." Kolby continued. "The next day when the thugs showed up at their regularly scheduled time, the so-called 'heroes' were so busy fighting with each other, that nobody paid any attention to them and they slowly disappeared back into the forest on their own accord. Of course, by this point, I had tried convincing the townsfolk these guys were up to no good numerous times, but no one, not even Kobaltia, would listen to a word I said, telling me that I was just too old to understand. Pah! Well, soon enough, the in-fighting had reached its boiling point, and both groups decided to race off to the volcano, each determined to beat the other to the treasure for the glory of their 'team'. Conveniently enough, once that happened, the thugs 'mysteriously' stopped showing up, and now me and Chompers are the only ones left. I begged and pleaded with Kobaltia and the rest of the townsfolk not to go with them, I even chased 'em all the way to the volcano, but they all just laughed at me and told me to go home. Well, except for Kobaltia, she just told me to go home before I got myself hurt. She just wouldn't be convinced to come home with me, so I finally gave up and headed back, where I've been ever since. On the one hand, I'm glad to hear that Kobaltia isn't in the volcano, but on the other hand, the rest of the town still is, and as their mayor, it's supposed to be my civic duty to protect them. I've failed miserably at that, it seems..."

"Don't say that, Mayor Kolby!" Yassie exclaimed, shaking her head vigorously at the mayor's claim. "It's not your fault, like you said, you tried your hardest, and they just wouldn't listen to you!"

"Yeah, it sounds more like the Koopa Brothers and Axem Rangers just... Well, brainwashed everyone, like you said earlier." Luigi concurred.

"Still, I should've been able to do _something_ to prevent things from going this far..." Kolby said miserably. Spooky, sensing the Koopa's grief, wandered over to him and licked his hand affectionately to try and cheer him up, which caused Chompers to do the same with his other hand, not wanting to be shown up. "Eugh, I appreciate the sentiment, you two, but I could do without the drool... Anyways, that's all in the past anyhow, there's nothing I can do to change any of it now. And ever since everyone went into it, the volcano's been rumbling more and more. I'm starting to believe the legends now, about it signaling the end of days, because its sure seemed like it ever since it first started."

"Don't think that way!" Yassie said, giving the mayor a look of compassion. "There's still plenty of time to talk some sense into your granddaughter and the rest of the townsfolk, that's what we're here for, after all!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Luigi agreed, before slowly doing a double take. "...W-Wait, it is?"

"Of course it is, Luigi!" Yassie said with a confident smile. "It's our duty as _real_ heroes to do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe! And obviously we're going to have to stop those guys anyways if we want to get our hands on the Dream Caster before they do!"

"O-Oh, right." Luigi stuttered, nodding in agreement before turning to Kolby. "Yeah, don't worry, Mayor Kolby, we'll help you get your town back, and we'll stop both of those groups of fake heroes!"

The mayor, however, didn't seem to have been paying attention to Luigi, however, as an odd look came over his face when Yassie had mentioned the Dream Caster. "Dream Caster...? You two... Don't tell me YOU'RE after that treasure too, are you?"

"Er, well, kinda sorta..." Yassie said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Like we said, it's kind of a long story... But basically, there's some evil, shadowy group out there that are trying the gather all the Dream Casters together to do... Something. Something really bad. And we're on a journey now to keep them from doing so, by collecting the Dream Casters before they do. I know that kinda sounds really similar to what those other jerks claimed they were doing, but we swear, we're telling the truth!"

"Y-Yeah, honest!" Luigi added, looking nervously at Kolby in fear that he might turn hostile on them again. Fortunately, that didn't happen this time.

"...I suppose I believe you." Kolby muttered after a moment of hard scrutinizing. "You certainly seem like a far more honest lot than those other two, at least. But goodness, do you really think that Dream Caster thing is in the volcano?"

"Well..." Luigi began, looking over at Yassie in hesitation, unsure if they should say anymore yet. "...We think it's _somewhere_ around here, at least. Or at least, we HOPE it is. We didn't really have any other leads to go on regarding any of the other Dream Casters, but I can't imagine that it's a coincidence that those other guys happen to be here now as well."

"...Hmm, well, I guess you two know what you're doing..." Kolby responded with a shrug after another long moment of silence. "But heck, all I really care about is getting Kobaltia and the rest of my town back, if you guys can do that, I'd be eternally grateful. I don't rightly know how I'd ever be able to thank you for doing so, but I'm sure I could figure SOMETHIN' out."

"Don't worry about thanking us until we get back, Mayor Kolby." Yassie said, shaking her head and smiling. "We'd just be doing our jobs as heroes, right Luigi?"

"Oh, yeah, totally." Luigi said, nodding his head inattentively, his mind temporarily elsewhere.

"Hmm? You okay, Luigi?" Yassie asked curiously, noticing the blank expression upon her partner's face. "You're kind of... Zoning out there."

"N-No, I'm fine, don't worry about it." Luigi said, snapping back to full attention and smiling reassuringly at Yassie. "I'll... Tell you about it later. Anyways, yeah, don't you worry about a thing, Mayor, my brother handled both of these groups before, so they're nothing to worry about. Your town'll be back to normal in no time!"

"Well, it's good to know you're confident about this, at least." Kolby said, as he bowed gratefully at the two. "If there's anything I can do to help you, just ask."

"Ah, well, would you happen to know anything about Mount Manjaw that we should know before we venture into it?" Yassie asked, wanting to be fully prepared before going anywhere dangerous.

"Nothin' much, I'm afraid." Kolby answered regretfully. "There's an entrance right down the Manjaw Mountain Trail, which is the road that connects from the mountain to Nimbihurst, but its been boarded up and closed since before my time, and no one's been allowed in at all since I've been alive. The entrance is wide open now though, thanks to the, ahem, 'heroes', so you really shouldn't have any trouble getting in, unless they've closed it back off again. I actually haven't been back there since that day, so who knows what they've gone and done to the place since then. I'm sure it's plenty dangerous inside, though, especially if it's on the verge of erupting, so you two'd best be prepared for a long, hot trek. And if they got their goons out in the forest, then I'm sure they have more helpin' them in the volcano, so you'd better be ready to fight, too. And of course, there are the idiots themselves, though judging by how bad they were at pretending to fight, I doubt you'll have much trouble with any of them in a real one. Other than that, I don't really know what to say besides good luck."

"Oh boy..." Luigi muttered to himself. This wouldn't be the first volcano he ventured into, and he still had rather painful memories of the last time he did so. But at the very least, he wouldn't have to wear a dress this time.

... _Hopefully_.

* * *

"Wait, what?! What do you mean, you let someone get into Nimbihurst?!"

Kobaltia winced at the predictably unhappy tone of voice that her red clad superior spat at her. The blue shelled Koopa stood in the doorway of a small, ramshackle looking room, which was sparsely decorated and appeared to have been ransacked, the only thing of note in the room being the small, makeshift cell that stood in the corner of the room, which was currently occupied by a few haggard looking Toads and Koopas. It had taken her all of her energy, but once she had finally been able to calm herself down, she had managed to right herself back onto her feet from where she had layed for seemingly an hour in Nimbi Grove. Immediately, she had taken off into Nimbihurst, looking for the mustachioed fiend and his smart-mouthed dinosaur accomplice who had 'defeated' her, seeking to finish what she had started. She was unable to find a single trace of them, however, and assuming they had went after her grandfather's 'sacred treasure', hastily booked it to his house. Thankfully, the 'treasure' was still in its rightful secret hiding place, but horribly enough, her grandfather was nowhere to be seen.

Taking it that the fiends had kidnapped him to try to divulge the treasure's location, Kobaltia wasted no time in rushing to the Koopa Brothers' secret hideout to tell them of this awful development. Of course, she knew that first she would have to inform them of how they got into Nimbihurst in the first place to pull off such a brazen crime, and as such, was anticipating the less than pleased reaction that the Koopa Brother's defacto leader, Red, would give her. He stood in front of her, giving her a look of supreme agitation, likely due to her news, his brothers lazing about behind him, though they each perked up at the sound of their brother's angry voice. Each of them were dressed in an almost identical fashion to Kobaltia, only they were clothed in red, green, yellow, and black respectively rather than blue.

"Y-Yes, I am highly, highly ashamed to admit it, sir, but I'm afraid I was tricked in the most dastardly fashion by these cowards..." Kobaltia stated, looking downwards in shame. "I was not aware of it, but they had had a secret weapon, and they waited until I was at my most vulnerable to unleash it upon me. Were it not for such a cowardly act of desperation, I assure you I would have kicked their butts from here to New Appelle, sir! But ah, as it stands, it seems that in their pathetic desperation to steal my grandfather's most sacred and prized possession, they've taken him hostage somewhere, no doubt torturing him as we speak as to its location! Please, I implore you, my masters, please help me find my grandfather and rescue him before he succumbs to their vile villainry!"

"You idiot, Blue!" Red shouted, seemingly ignoring much of what Kobaltia had said. "We gave you _one_ job, to make sure no one got into Nimbihurst until we were done, and you can't even do that?! Why do you think we should help _you_?!"

'Blue' was taken aback by Red's especially angry reaction, but quickly attributed it to him having to work and toil in such an unpleasant environment for so long during he and his brothers' search for the villainous Crimson Stache, the fiend who was trying to blow up Mount Manjaw and destroy Nimbihurst with the volcano's ancient treasure, along with having to deal with those troublesome Axem Rangers and their pathetically brainwashed followers on top of that. In understanding, she bowed deeply to Red in apology.

"A-Ah, y-y-you're right, I'm s-sorry for asking such a selfish request, I realize you all must be terribly busy as it is..." Blue said with deep regret. "I suppose this is a problem that I must deal with on my own, as it was brought on due to foolishness of my own accord. Perhaps this is the test that I must take in order to truly become a hero! Oh, how exciting! Don't worry, I'll find that awful, mustachioed jerkwad and his buttheaded lizard pal and show them what happens when you cross a Koopa Brother! - Or, sister, I suppose..."

"Er, you're not a Koopa Brother, ya weirdo." Black sneered from the back of the room.

"Yeah, and just remember, you're only a trial member right now, don't forget your place!" Green added, glowering at Blue.

"B-But if I do good, you guys'll make me into a full fledged official member, right?" Blue said, a hopeful, excited smile upon her face.

"Uh, yeah, sure, whatever." Red said, not sounding as if he cared in the slightest.

"Hey Red, don't you think we should tell Master Sliver about this?" Yellow asked, drawing an irritated look from Red. Before he could respond, however, another voice piped up from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Tell me what, pray tell?" came the voice, which sounded highly staticy in nature. All eyes in the room turned to the small, ancient looking monitor that sat upon the room's only table. Displayed on it, in a blurry, red tint, was a 'Ratooey', or at least, something that vaguely resembled one. Contrary to most Ratooeys, who were slender and svelte, this one was short and exceptionally corpulent, and his sickly grey fur had a very patchy, off-putting look about it. Not only that, but his ears appeared to have purple horns sticking out of them, which _had_ to be painful, and the skin around his shiny round goggles appeared to be disturbingly loose, so much so that it actually seemed to be bunched up around them. The only part of him which didn't look tattered and sewn together was his short, spiky, red cape, which seemed to be about three sizes too small for him and was pulled up over the lower half of his face in an attempt to appear more ninja like, presumably. Though it was impossible for any of the Koopas to tell how he was feeling by looking at him, due to literally not being able to see any kind of facial expression at all, it was clear from the sound of his voice that he wasn't in the best of moods either.

"Er, I'm sorry, sensei, but _Blue_ somehow let a couple of shmucks into Nimbihurst a little bit ago." Red stated, casting an accusatory glare at Blue.

"She _what_?!" Sliver shouted in much the same manner that Red had when he first heard the news, only somehow even angrier. "For the love of Gro... Er, Grambi! I can't leave you morons alone for a second, can I?"

The Koopa Brothers all shrunk in their seats, but Blue quickly spoke up on their behalves. "Sensei, it's not their fault, it was all my doing, _I'm_ the incompetent one! So please, if you must punish anyone, make it me!"

"Yeah, that sounds swell, remind me to do that when I get back there." Sliver said dryly. "But anyways, do tell, what did these 'couple of shmucks' look like, exactly? And you had _better not_ say that it was a man with a mustache and overalls being followed by some sort of know-it-all Goomba."

"Oh no, sensei, it was a man with a mustache and overalls being followed by a know-it-all Yoshi!" Blue said, before any of the brothers could stop her. "I think they've kidnapped my grandfather in an attempt to-

Sliver interrupted Blue, making some sort of agitated grunting noise, which sounded very bizarre coming out of the crackly reception of the monitor, and he wearily rubbed his temples, shifting the skin underneath around in the process. "Alright, that is _not_ cool. That is just... Completely bogus. Yeah, that STINKS! I _thought_ that that particular individual had been taken care of this time, to prevent this very thing from happening! But gah, no, I should've realized from the incompetence of those idiot Axems that those other guys couldn't be trusted to do anything right! Speaking of which, change of plans, losers! It seems as if 'You-Know-Who' is going to be coming to crash our party after all, so you'd get in here and get ready to stop him! It's time for you to put your new training to the test, my, uh, pupils, and show the world the true might of the Ninja Koopas! Buh, buh huh huh huh!"

"Um, we're actually called the Koopa Brothers, sir." said Red.

Sliver instantly shot back in an uncaring tone, "I don't care, just don't let that stupid plumber beat us to the treasure! And with that, POW! I'm gone!"

Instantly, the monitor shut itself off, and the Koopa Brothers all huddled around Blue.

"Ah, what luck!" Blue said in excitement, oblivious to the dirty looks she was getting from the brothers. "It looks like you'll be able to help me find my grandfather after all! Do you want me to go scout ahead? Because I can totally go do that, it's no problem at all!"

"N-No, no, that... That won't be necessary, Blue." Red stuttered, shaking his head before putting his hand on Blue's shoulder and giving her a super serious look. "We have to go stop those two, but in the meantime, we need somebody to stay here and watch the prisoners to make sure they don't escape and go blabbing all our secret plans to those no-good Axem Rangers! So uh, why don't you stay here and do that, don't worry about your gramps, we'll find him and get him to safety, because that's what heroes do! And that's _definitely_ what we are, yessireebob!"

"Ah, alright, roger that, master! You can count on me!" Blue said eagerly, saluting her 'superior' as they exited the little room, each of them grumbling and muttering not very nice things at Blue under their breaths for making them have to go back into that awful volcano. And so, Blue sat down and directed her deathly steel gaze at the prisoners in the corner of the room, making sure to keep her eye on all of them. She wasn't going to let herself screw up again, that was for sure.

* * *

After saying their goodbyes to Kolby (his parting words being that if they were to encounter Kobaltia again or any of the other townsfolk, to please not fight them unless they absolutely had to), Luigi, Yassie, and Spooky made their way out of the Town Hall and towards Manjaw Mountain Pass, a rather foreboding, rocky valley that seemingly stretched all the way to Mount Manjaw way off in the distance. Most likely against their better judgment, the group made a quick detour at the item shop to purchase a few more recovery items just to be on the safe side, along with the shop's (regrettably) last remaining POW Block, and after laying their coins on the counter, exited the shop and headed off down the bumpy, rocky path.

"The Manjaw Mountain Pass..." Yassie began, as the party stared up at the imposing, sky high mountain in the distance that was to be their destination. "Unlike Nimbi Grove, this place shares none of Nimbihurst's good luck. There are frequent rockslides, and rowdy Goombas, Koopas, and Clefts are known to make their home here. And that's not even counting the ones that are with the goonsquad. Thankfully, it's a pretty clear cut path from here to the mountain, but obviously, the closer we get to the volcano itself, the hotter it's going to get, and there's next to no shade anywhere around here, so I hope you brought lots of water, Luigi."

"Er, we have a few Tasty Tonics and Super Sodas, at least." Luigi replied, honestly embarrassed that he could have forgotten such an essential as water. "Those... Don't go bad in the heat, do they?"

"Uh... Hopefully not?" Yassie responded, not sounding particularly thrilled with Luigi's answer. Deciding to change the subject, Yassie brought up Luigi's odd behavior from earlier. "But hey, what was with the spaced out look earlier, Luigi? You said you'd talk about it later, remember?"

"Oh, right, that." Luigi said. "It's just that, it seems odd that the Koopa Brothers and Axem Rangers would be working together, or heck, even be in the same place at the same time for that matter."

"What do you mean?" Yassie asked curiously.

"Well, the Koopa Brothers were Bowser's minions, and pretty low level ones at that." Luigi stated, continuing, "But the Axems, on the other hand, were followers of this guy named... Uh... Shmitty, or something like that. I can't remember exactly, I wasn't around for that little adventure and I only have my brother's words to go by, but according to him, they were pretty high up in his ranks, and were also supposed to be pretty tough. The thing about them is, I thought they had been banished back to whatever dimension it was that they had come from in the first place when Mario and his pals defeated Shmitty. But obviously, that must not be the case, or else they wouldn't be here... But then, Bowser was actually one of Mario's ALLIES during his fight against Shmitty, believe it or not, so I have no idea why his followers would be teaming up with Shmitty's. And plus, that 'buhuhuh'ing, horn-headed, goggle-wearing Ratooey that Kolby mentioned was leading them, I don't remember him AT ALL, and I'm pretty sure Mario would have mentioned someone as bizarre sounding as that if he had run into him. But no, he only ever mentioned the Koopa Brothers themselves. So this whole deal, it just seems..."

"Fishy?" Yassie finished for Luigi, who nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm kind of weirded out by it too now that you bring all that up. Particularly since we have no idea who they're working for this time."

"I mean, I guess I wouldn't put it past Bowser to try and steal something like a Dream Caster..." Luigi said slowly, before shaking his head. "But this seems way too sophisticated for him, and besides that, he shouldn't have any way of knowing about them in the first place. So I agree with what you said to the mayor, I'm pretty sure whoever their bosses are, they're the same shadowy group that Merlon saw in his vision."

"Well, I'm sure we're bound to find something out if and when we run into either of them." Yassie said, shrugging. "For now, we should probably just focus on getting to the volcano. One step at a time, right?"

Luigi nodded and smiled. "Right."

The trek up the perilous mountain pass was nowhere near as nice as their walk through the forest was. Well, the first part of the forest, at least. As Yassie had claimed, it was indeed getting hotter the further they got from Nimbihurst. The sunshine, which had seemed so beautiful and perfect in the abundantly tree shaded Nimbihurst and Nimbi Grove, now beat down harshly upon the group, with little to no protection from it in sight. The path itself was, while virtually a straight line, anything but smooth, as the ground dipped up and down in great, jagged leaps, and Luigi and the others frequently were forced to put their jumping and climbing skills to the test. Numerous times already, one of them would trip over a seemingly invisible rock or crack in the ground, or in the absolute worst cases, a disguised Cleft. And along with the annoyingly hard to damage Clefts (Luigi quickly put E. Gadd's Power Smash badge to good use), they also had to contend with a variety of Spiky, Para, and original flavored Goombas, along with the far more dangerous Koopas and Parakoopas who dotted the path, though neither Luigi nor Yassie could tell if any of them were affiliated with the 'heroes' or not. Already, the group had had to use up a couple of their Mushrooms due mostly to mere clumsiness on their part, in their rush to get to the volcano. They were, however, able to come across a few Fire Flowers, a Sleepy Sheep, and another POW Block laying about on the path and in item blocks along the way. The Fire Flowers, Luigi realized, were likely going to have minimal use in a volcano, but he was always happy to have POW Blocks at the ready when going against Koopas. He figured he'd save the Sleepy Sheep for later, personal use, in the off chance that he couldn't get to sleep for one reason or another, because goodness knows they never worked when he used one in battle.

Despite Yassie's advice to take things one step at a time, Luigi couldn't help but let his mind wander about many things, all of them troubling to him. Were the Koopas and Axems really working for the shadowy group? And if so, WHY were they working for them? The only people either group had affiliations with couldn't possibly have been involved in any way... Could they? " _No._ " Luigi decided, shaking his head. It was as he had told Yassie, Bowser was too dumb for this, and 'Shmitty'... Well, Luigi was pretty sure he wasn't around anymore.

On another note, Luigi was troubled by the fact that Kolby seemed to know little to nothing about the Dream Caster that he was supposed to be in possession of. On the contrary, he didn't seem to believe it existed at all, and if it did, it was in the volcano. He _had_ let it slip that his cane was a prized possession, but it didn't exactly resemble a star, and while certainly ornate, it didn't look particularly old at all, so Luigi had trouble believing it could be the thing they were looking for. But if Kolby didn't have it, then where could it be? Could it truly be the treasure that's said to be inside Mount Manjaw? It would certainly explain why there would be next to no records about it if that were the case. Perhaps Kolby's ancestor lost or purposefully placed it in the volcano after finding it for one reason or another... Regardless, if that was true, then Luigi knew they were going to have to hurry if they were to have any hope of finding it before the villains and their near month long head start did.

...But then, if they had been searching for it for so long, how come they hadn't found it yet? Luigi let out a frustrated groan. Every question he asked only led to more questions and no answers.

"What's the matter, Luigi?" Yassie asked, having heard the plumber's cry of irritation.

"O-Oh, nothing, just stumbled over another crack..." Luigi muttered, deciding it'd be best to just leave the questions alone for right now and just focus on the trek ahead, as Yassie had suggested.

As the group made their way further and further up the path, the enemies began to thin out as the heat began to swelter more and more. Even Spooky, who had been sticking relatively close by Luigi and Yassie this time, seemed to be starting to become affected by it, as his usual boundless energy was suddenly nowhere to be seen, and he trotted gingerly behind Luigi, panting heavily with his tongue hanging out further than a hungry Belome's. The group had soon enough finished off their stock of Tasty Tonics, with Luigi deciding to save the Super Sodas for once they were in the volcano itself, since they seemed more likely to stay cool longer.

The heat, however, was not the only thing the group had to contend with at this point, as there were now frequent rock slides, no doubt being brought on by the volcano's sporadic rumbling, with all manner of rocks and boulders tumbling down the pathway, causing the party to expend even more energy to get out of their way, lest they want to become fresh volcano bakemeat. It was, as Luigi thought to himself, as if it were the world's least fun obstacle course (though he had at least found a small prize along the way in the form of a Charge badge). This world's, of course, and not the galaxy in general's, as Luigi still remembered far, far too well of the nightmarish gauntlets that he and his brother had had to endure on past interstellar journeys. Suddenly, this seemed like an absolute trifle in comparison to him, and he managed to power through the final stretch using that thought, Yassie and Spooky catching up to him a few moments later, all three of them gasping for breath as they stood in the merciful shade of the large, rocky overhang the jutted out from the mountain itself. Unfortunately, the shade did little to help with the heat at this point, as they had reached the previously boarded up entrance that Kolby had mentioned, where heat was just flooding out of like an open oven door.

"Oh... Jeez..." Yassie wheezed, hands on her knees and hunched over like a marathon runner who had just finished a twenty mile race. "I'm already... Exhausted..."

"Me... Too..." Luigi gasped, the hot air that he was forcing into his lungs seemingly making it harder for him to breath if anything. Spooky merely collapsed at his feet, panting heavily and whimpering slightly as he looked worriedly up at his master and Yassie. Looking around for anywhere that might possibly be a better place to catch their breath, Luigi spotted a small, run down little shack with a busted up sign above it that used to read 'Souvenirs' a short ways to the left underneath the overhang, and he quickly pointed it out to Yassie and Spooky, who followed him over to the building, which thankfully was not locked.

As they entered and slammed the door behind them to keep any additional heat from getting in, however, they probably were wishing that it had been locked.

"Oh, no..." Yassie bemoaned, as she caught sight of the blue shelled Koopa in front of them, who let out an overly dramatic gasp in recognition.

" _ **YOU!**_ " she cried, pointing accusingly at the trio as she hopped angrily out of her seat. "How DARE you defile the Koopa Brothers' sacred dojo by traipsing upon it with your dirty, villainous feet! And oh my gosh, that's RIGHT! What have you two and your evil little devil dog done with my poor, defenseless... Uh, I mean, with the poor, defenseless village leader?! I know you've stolen him and hidden him away somewhere, so fess up, you don't want to make this any more painful than it's already going to be!"

"Wait, what?" Luigi asked, completely confused for a moment at the Koopa's bizarre accusation before getting his bearings back. "W-Wait, no, you've got it all wrong! We didn't kidnap your grandpa, he's still safe and sound back at the Town Hall in Nimbihurst!"

"Yeah, we literally just got done talking to him about everything that's been going on around here like an hour ago, did you seriously not check to see if he was there?" Yassie added incredulously. "I mean, you are Kobaltia Koover, aren't you?"

Blue let out an even hammier gasp at the sound of her name. "H-How did you even-?! ...N-No, you're obviously lying again! My grandpa wouldn't have said a single thing to villainous scumbags like you, especially not my secret identity!"

"Yeah, now I _know_ you have to be his granddaughter." Yassie said with a scoff. "You're the only two people in the world who would look at us and immediately scream 'VILLAINS!', especially in such a ridiculous way."

"Liar!" Blue shouted, jumping towards them and assuming a fighting stance. "I'm sure PLENTY of people say just that when they see you, you're the most sinister looking villains I've ever come across in my life!"

"...Really?" Yassie responded blankly, nearly at a loss for words at that point. Shaking her head, she looked back in anger at Blue. "Man, they really must have brainwashed you, because nothing you say makes any sense whatsoever! And if you're so concerned about your grandpa, why don't you just go back home to him? You know he's worried sick about you, don't you?"

"Why, of course he is concerned about me, but it is just something that he will have to deal with, for a hero's life is fraught with danger, and those who are close to the hero must learn to accept that!" Blue stated, folding her arms and trying to sound wise.

"Oh, come on, open your eyes, girl!" Yassie cried, thoroughly annoyed at the Koopa's speech by this point. "All of Nimbihurst is deserted with the sole exceptions of your grandpa and his Chomp, can you really not tell that there's something wrong going on here? Whatever the Koopa Brothers are telling you, it's obviously nothing but lies! You say we're the bad guys, but your own grandfather says otherwise! He knows the Koopa Brothers AND the Axem Rangers' true natures, why won't you or anyone else listen to him?"

"Grr, that's enough!" Blue yelled, before charging at the exhausted group. "I won't have you speak dirty of my masters in their own dojo, and I won't listen to anymore of your lies!"

"Uh oh." Luigi uttered, remembering what Kolby had said about not fighting Kobaltia unless they absolutely had to, and also not at all prepared or in any shape for another battle, and looking over at Yassie, neither was she. Not even Spooky could get up enough energy to help this time, and before either of them knew what hit them, Luigi and Yassie were tangled up in some sort of wire, Blue spinning around them in a circle in her shell as she tied them up, neither of them having enough energy to break free or fight back. Spooky walked over and whimpered at his fallen master, as both Luigi and Yassie squirmed in futility on the floor to try and get loose of the rope that now held them tightly together.

"Ha, how pathetic!" Blue said in triumph, putting her hands on her hips and looking down at her work. For a moment, she was distracted by Spooky's whimpering and big, sad eyes, and a small pang of doubt and regret hit her. She quickly shook it off though, and went out of her way to avoid Spooky's gaze entirely as she grabbed a hold of the two trapped heroes and, with great effort, dragged them over to the room's tiny jail cell, where she quickly rolled them in and shut the door behind them before any of the other assorted prisoners could think of escaping. All the while, one single, defeating thought echoed in Luigi's mind.

" _This would have never happened to Mario..._ "


	10. Chapter 1, Part 3: Troopa Colors

"Ah, I must go and inform my senseis about this at once!" Blue said dutifully to herself, as she stared at her prisoners in triumphant glee. "They'll be so happy and grateful that I not only defeated, but CAPTURED the awful, mustachioed villain that they were looking for, they might finally make me a full fledged Koopa Brother! Ooh, I can feel it in my shell! But first things first..." Marching over to the cage where Luigi and Yassie were, Blue balled up her fist in anger and glared threateningly at the duo. "Tell me what you've done to the village elder, you criminal scum! Don't make me discipline you even further!"

Yassie scoffed in contempt. "Ugh, we already told you, we didn't do anything to him, he's safe and sound in his office back at Nimbihurst. Go check yourself, if you don't believe us!"

"Ha! And leave you three unguarded?" Blue retorted. "Just how stupid do you think I am?" Yassie opened her mouth as if to respond to Blue's query, but was quickly cut off by the Koopa. "Irregardless, I'm not falling for your pathetic tricks, villain, you'd have to do a lot better than that to pull one over on a Koopa Brother! Now, assuming you're telling the truth, which I am 103% certain you are NOT, I will go and check the elder's office... Once my senseis have arrived to deal with you properly, that is!"

Turning away from the group with a sneer, Blue walked over to the ancient monitor that Sliver had appeared on earlier and began poking and prodding its buttons until another blurry, low-quality image showed up on it.

"Oh, for the love of..." came the muffled, irritated voice of Red from within the monitor. "What did you mess up _this_ time, Blue? And pray tell, _how_ did you mess something up just milling about in the hideout?"

"Ah, sensei, do not fret, for I come bearing excellent news!" Blue stated, bowing in respect to the monitor regardless of the fact that Red clearly couldn't care less. "In a testament to just how absolutely foolish they are, the great mustachioed menace and his sinister saurian accomplice, whom Master Sliver was so rightfully worried about, mere moments ago tried breaking into our dojo! BUT, they clearly weren't expecting to run into me, sir, for they were no match at all for my elite ninja skills!"

"Wait, what?!" Red exclaimed, turning his full attention to the monitor. "Hold the phone! Are you trying to tell me that _YOU_ somehow managed to beat _HIM_ single-handedly?!"

"Indeed, sensei." Blue said simply, bowing again. "Of course, I'm sure you guys would have done so in an even easier fashion had he and his conspirators made their way into the volcano, but thankfully, they were so disgustingly helpless that even _I_ was able to dispatch them with ease."

"Helpless? With ease?" Red repeated, the skepticism in his voice heavier than his master's figure. "I don't think we're talking about the same dude here. Let me get a real good look at this guy!"

"Certainly, sensei!" Blue said eagerly, before picking up the monitor and carrying it over to the cage where Luigi was. The monitor's reception seemed to get even worse as she did so, however, as Red's voice and image became nearly nothing but static until Blue had placed the device back upon the table. "Well, sensei? He is the fiend Master Sliver was speaking of, is he not?"

"I... Think so?" came the conflicted reply of Red. "I mean... I couldn't really make out much detail thanks to all the interference this stupid volcano causes, but those overalls, that hat, and that mustache, I don't know who else would dress like that on purpose EXCEPT him! But then, that means... How in the world did _YOU_ manage to beat him?!"

"I'm... Not sure what you mean, sir." Blue said with a small shrug. "He and his partner hardly even put up a fight at all. I think they may have still been weakened from our earlier encounter."

Red stayed silent for a moment, pacing back and forth before finally bursting out in maniacal laughter. "Ehehehe... Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! Oh, this is awesome. This is _BEYOND_ awesome! Sliver's gonna freak when he hears this! And just think, it's all because of MY genius idea to make that gullible idiot part of the crew. Silver's gonna LOVE us for this! The Koopa Brothers are BACK, baby, aw yeah! Hehehehehehehe!"

"...Sir?" Blue spoke worriedly as Red's laughter continued on for well over a minute, oblivious to what he had just been mumbling to himself.

Red finally stopped as he heard Blue's voice, and realizing he was still on the monitor, cleared his throat loudly. "Uh, yes, well... I can't believe I'm saying this, but good job, Blue! I suppose in light of this development, I'll put in a good word for you with Master Sliver to let the punishment for your last botch slide... So uh, just, stay there, and DON'T take your eyes off of him, alright? He's crafty, oh is he ever crafty... Me and Sliver and the boys'll be there ASAP, so just, DO NOT MOVE until then, got it?"

"Roger that, master, you can count on me!" Blue stated with a salute.

"Great, now let's see how well you actually listen this time..." Red muttered low enough that Blue couldn't hear. "But anyways, yeah, be there in a few, and you BETTER both still be there when we arrive!"

Red faded out before Blue could respond, and as he ordered, she quickly turned her gaze back to Luigi and Yassie, where it stayed firmly glued.

"Ugh... Luigi, what are we gonna do?" Yassie whispered quietly after a few moments of silence, her voice carrying a tone of urgency. "We can't just sit here, who knows what the Koopa Brothers plans on doing with us... We have to think of something!"

"I... I know..." Luigi whispered back, glancing at Blue to make sure she didn't notice them talking. "But... I don't know what we could possibly hope to do in this situation... I'm sure if Mario were here, he'd be able to figure something out, but... I'm no Mario... I'm no hero at all..."

"Luigi, now's not the time to..." Yassie began, ready to scold him for his pessimism yet again, when suddenly an idea popped into her head. "...Wait, Luigi, that's it!"

"H-Huh...?" he murmured back in confusion. "What's it?"

"Just... Follow my lead!" Yassie whispered back, before loudly coughing to get Blue's attention. Giving the Koopa a dirty look, she let out a small, sinister sounding chuckle. "Ha, okay, I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore. You're right, we can't hope to fool someone as smart as you!"

"What are you on about now, you loud-mouthed larcenist?" Blue said suspiciously, narrowing her eyes and folding her arms at Yassie, who merely continued to grin evilly back at her.

"You're right... We really are evil, dastardly villains!" she sneered, laughing hammily and drawing bizarre looks from the rest of the prisoners. "Isn't that right... Uh, Reggie?"

"...O-Oh, yeah, that, uh, that's right!" Luigi stuttered once he realized Yassie was talking to him. "W-We're the absolute worst! We're so bad, we even make guys like Bowser wet his bed in fear!"

"Aha! I _KNEW_ it!" Blue shouted, gasping overly dramatically in response. "But... Why are you guys admitting this _now_? If this is some sort of trick to try to get me to leave you alone-"

"Oh, I assure you, it's no trick." Yassie said, chuckling darkly. "At least, as far as you know."

"Grr, out with it, you fiends!" Blue said, rushing up to the cage and glaring menacingly at the duo. "If you have something to say, then do it! I'm not the kind of person you want to toy with!"

"Ha, okay, okay..." Yassie said with a smirk, clearly enjoying this more than she should. "Well, I wasn't lying earlier when I said your grandfather was in his office back in Nimbihurst... I was lying about the part where he was safe and sound, however."

Letting out another hyperventilating gasp, Blue reached into the cage and grabbed Luigi and Yassie by their collar and scarf respectively. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY GRANDPA, YOU CREEPS?!"

"Oh, nothing... Yet." Yassie said, her grin spreading wider and wider with each word. "You see, we had a feeling this might happen, so we took out a little... Insurance plan, so to speak. Sure, you _COULD_ stay here and keep an eye on us until your leaders get here, but then, I hope you have some earplugs, because this volcano erupting won't have ANYTHING on the sound Nimbihurst is gonna make once it goes sky high, along with your precious grandfather."

"N-NO! E-E-EVILTONS!" Blue cried, releasing her grip on the two as she backed away and glanced in a panic towards the doorway, the other prisoners having much of the same reaction.

"Yeah, unfortunately for you, the bomb we put in the Town Hall is set to go off very soon, certainly sooner than it's going to take for your bosses to get here and deal with us." Yassie claimed. "It's probably too late for you to save your grandpa and that pathetic little town of yours now... But you're welcome to try."

Blue looked frantically back and forth between the doorway and the cell. "N-No... If I leave, you guys will surely escape, and the others will all get mad at me again, and I'll NEVER become a real Koopa Brother... B-B-But if I don't, then grandpa and Chompers... H-How do I know you're not lying?!"

"Oh, you don't." Yassie said deviously. "But can you _really_ afford to assume I am? Is the acceptance of those stupid Koopa Brothers really more important to you than your grandfather's well being?"

"I... I..." Blue whimpered, before finally crying out and rushing towards the door, glaring back at Luigi and Yassie before shakily opening it. "C-Curse you, you... You awful, horrible JERKS! You... You haven't seen the last of me! Mark my words!"

Slamming the door shut behind her, Blue began to book it back to Nimbihurst faster than she ever had before, not noticing that something had fallen out of her glove in the process. Back in the shack, meanwhile, Luigi and Yassie were breathing a momentary sigh of reprieve.

"Oh man, it's a good thing she's so gullible..." Yassie said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, that was... Quite a performance, Yassie..." Luigi stated in slight bemusement. "Something tells me you have experience doing this kind of thing..."

"Well, when you live in a place like New Appelle, you sorta learn to adapt to people, and act accordingly." Yassie replied, shrugging. "In this case, she was acting like a complete loon, so obviously the best way to react was to be an even bigger loon."

"W-What's WRONG with you freaks?!" cried one of the other prisoners in the cell, unable to keep quiet any longer as Luigi and Yassie talked so casually to one another. "H-How can you act like that when Nimbihurst and our poor mayor are about to be blown to kingdom come at your hands?!"

"Oh, relax, that was all an act." Yassie said, rolling her eyes at the dirty, malnourished looking Toad. "We're not REALLY evil, that girl is just completely nuts and THINKS we are, thanks to those idiot Koopa Brothers and Axem Rangers and whoever else. There's no bomb or anything in Nimbihurst, but... Well, let's just say if we don't get out of here and stop those freaks soon, the volcano's gonna do all that and more to this entire area."

"W-W-What?!" blubbered another prisoner, a frail, female, wilted looking Bub-Ulb. "W-What are you talking about?! The Axem Rangers are already in there risking life and limb to keep that from happening! And how dare you lump them in with those insidious Koopa Brothers! They're heroes with nothing but our best interests in heart, unlike those... Those... Koopa Brothers! It's all their faults we're stuck here in the first place! Just because we accidentally wandered over to 'their' side of the volcano, the think they have the right to lock us up like this?!"

"Oh please." Yassie said dryly. "Open your eyes, there's no difference between them, neither of them are heroes and they certainly don't have any of your best interests in heart. If you would've just listened to your 'poor mayor', you would've realized that long ago, but instead you're stuck in a jail cell in this hundred degree oven of a shack."

"Stop it!" cried a third prisoner, another skinny, dirty Toad. "What gives you the right to say such blasphemous lies about the great Axem Rangers?!"

"Yeesh, the mayor was right, these guys HAVE been brainwashed..." Luigi muttered to Yassie out of earshot from the other prisoners.

"No kidding..." Yassie muttered back. "No wonder that poor girl is so delusional... These are the people she sees on a daily basis?"

"What are you two mumbling about over there?" asked the first Toad suspiciously.

"None of your business." said Yassie. "Anyways, we'd love to try and convince you that the Axems are evil, but we don't really have the time for that. We have to try to figure out a way out of here before the Koopa Brothers show up, so unless any of you know of a means of escaping, kindly shut up."

"Why don't you just use your dumb little ghost dog?" said the second Toad in annoyance. "Can't he just go through the bars and get the key to unlock this cage?"

Spooky growled at the Toad, taking exception to being called dumb, before Luigi shook his head at him and told him to stop.

"Well, sure, he can get through the bars, but he can't exactly get the key, since Blue took it with her when she left." Luigi explained, sighing at the fact that they had forgotten about that fact until just now, which was mirrored by Yassie's groan at the same thought.

"Well, that's just great, then." muttered the Bub-Ulb. "We're probably going to get punished along with you guys, just because the Koopa Brothers are like that! Oh, if only the Axems knew we were here, they'd rush in here and rescue us in an instant..."

"Aw, shut your yap about those dumb Axems already, will ya?"

All eyes in the cell turned towards the previously silent final prisoner, a gruff, older looking Parakoopa with an expression that signaled his head had fallen out of the clouds far earlier than any of the other prisoners had.

"Get a grip, all of you. These two are right, we should've listened to the mayor. Just look at where following those Axems has gotten us! And look at where it's gotten everyone else, and everyone following the Koopa Brothers! They're all in an even worse place than us, they're still in Mount Manjaw! And for what? Do any of you even know WHY they brought us all into that accursed furnace for in the first place?"

"Yeah, so we could help them find the sacred treasure before the Koopa Brothers or that Scarlet Neckbeard guy or whatever his name was do!" replied the Bub-Ulb emphatically.

"Bah, there IS no sacred treasure, you nincompoops!" the Parakoopa spat. "And there is no Scarlet Neckbeard, either! Whatever it is they're doing, it sure isn't for any of our benefits, that's for sure! They needed a bunch of gullible shmucks to use for manual labor to find some imaginary treasure, and we all fell for their little show, hook, line, and sinker!"

"H-How can you say that?!" whimpered the Bub-Ulb, as she and the Toads looked at the Parakoopa with contempt.

"Because, I'm hungry, tired, hot, and just plain miserable, and so far, those are the ONLY things the Koopa Brothers or Axem Rangers have brought any of us." the Parakoopa replied bitterly. "Now, I don't know and I don't care what you guys think, but I'm of a mind to help these two, since they sound like they know what's going on FAR better than any of us do. You all can either help as well, or you can just sit over there and wait for your precious Axems to come and save you. But whatever you do, just zip it, because I don't wanna hear another word of praise for the Axems or the Koopa Brothers for as long as I live!"

The other prisoners all sat in a stunned silence as the Parakoopa turned to Luigi and Yassie. "I'm not rightly sure of how much help I can be, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes if it means it'll get us out of here and back to Nimbihurst in one piece."

"Um, th-thank you, sir..." Yassie stuttered, slightly taken off guard by the Parakoopa's sudden outburst. "Uh, do you have anything in mind, Luigi...?"

"...I'm thinking..." Luigi responded absently, as he was indeed lost in thought trying to figure out some sort of escape plan. Before they got out of the cage, he and Yassie would have to get untied from each other, and so would the other prisoners. They both had been struggling to no avail to loosen their bindings on their own, but they were just too sapped of strength still to be able to make much headway. Glancing around the room for anything that could possibly cut them loose, his eyes suddenly fell on Spooky, who cocked his head and looked back at him in that curious way that dogs do. "...Say, Spooky, I know you're a ghost and all, but you still have teeth, right?"

On cue, Spooky made a terrifying, completely undoglike grin, showing off his large, gleaming choppers.

"G-Gah, d-d-don't do that anymore, Spooky..." Luigi said, shivering as Spooky's face relaxed back into its natural state. "B-But anyways, quick, come here and see if you can't chew this wire enough for us to get out of it!"

Spooky obediently trotted up to the tied up duo and began to valiantly try to rip and tear the wire apart with his teeth. Unfortunately, the wire proved too strong, and all he really managed to accomplish was accidentally getting coating Luigi in another layer of slobber in the process. Whimpering, he layed down at Luigi's feet in apology.

"Urgh... It's okay Spooky, you... You tried..." Luigi said dejectedly, trying to shift around enough so that the drool soaked portions of his clothes weren't pressing as much against him. "...Wait a minute..." In the process, however, he realized that while Spooky hadn't managed to loosen the wire much, his ectoslobber had made it slick enough that Luigi was able to squirm around within it much more than he had been able to before, and with great effort, he finally managed to get one of his arms loose from the wire, giving it enough slack for himself and Yassie to get out of it entirely. Once he was free, he beamed brightly at Spooky. "Scratch that, you did it, Spooky! Good doggie!"

Spooky instantly bounded back up to Luigi in response, Yapping happily and wagging his tail a mile a minute.

"I never thought I'd actually be glad to be covered in your drool..." Luigi muttered wearily, as he and Yassie got to their feet. Realizing that all three of them were still in terrible shape, he quickly procured a slightly smushed Mushroom out of his pocket and split it three ways between them, giving them all a much needed energy boost.

"S-Say, is there any chance you've got any more of those with you?" came the quiet voice of one of the Toads, who spoke with regret. "We haven't had anything to eat since they put us in here, and that was days ago..."

Glancing at Yassie, who nodded back in confirmation, Luigi stifled an involuntary sigh and pulled out two of his last three (edible) Mushrooms. He really hoped they would be able to find some more along the way in the volcano... Regardless, he knew the Nimbihursters needed them far more, and once he and Yassie had untied them, they quickly devoured the Mushrooms, thanking Luigi and Yassie profusely for them immediately afterwards.

"Alright, maybe... Maybe you're right..." the Bub-Ulb said once her stomach had been slightly satiated. "...I don't want to believe it, though. Why would the Axems and Koopa Brothers deceive us just to use us for manual labor?"

"Because they're evil, duh." Yassie stated simply. "There may not be an ancient treasure, but whatever it is that they ARE looking for, it's our job to stop them from getting it."

"Yeah, but first, we still have to get out of here." Luigi added, reminding everyone there was still a cage surrounding them.

"Perhaps I can help." said the Parakoopa, walking up to the group.

"How so?" asked Yassie.

"Well, I know it seemed like Kobaltia took the key with her, but why don't you have your dog look over by the door there?" the Parakoopa exclaimed, pointing towards the shack's only entrance, which was almost entirely obscured by random junk that had been piled up on the other side of the cell's bars.

"Uh, okay, Spooky, go over to the door and see if you can find anything that could get us out of here!" Luigi exclaimed, to which Spooky happily obliged, rushing through the bars over to where the Parakoopa had indicated, coming back almost immediately afterwards with a small, rusted key in his mouth, which he promptly dropped at Luigi's feet.

"The key!" cried everyone but the Parakoopa in unison.

"But, how did you...?" Luigi began in bewilderment as he reached down to pick up the (predictably slobber covered) key, to which the Parakoopa chuckled.

"I heard something drop when she left. Plus, she's always been a bit of a butterfingers, particularly when she's nervous." the Parakoopa explained. "I should know, she used to come over to my house all the time to play with my daughter when they were younger, and she was always dropping my wife's vases and other assorted fragile objects during their little games of superheroes and whatnot. Such a shame they've been able to manipulate her so badly, I'm sure Kolby must be beside himself with worry over her..."

"He is, sir." Yassie said, nodding sadly. "But it's not just her he's worried about, he's sick with worry about all of you, he feels as if he's failed in his duty as mayor by allowing you all to put yourselves into danger in the volcano."

"Oh, no..." said one of the Toads, the look of guilt on his face mirrored by his fellow prisoners. "We... We didn't mean to worry him... Honest!"

"Oh... We really have been going about this wrong, haven't we...?" whimpered the Bub-Ulb ashamedly. "I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to worry the mayor... I just... Don't know what came over me, it's always so boring in Nimbihurst, and when the Axems and Koopa Brothers came, it was so... Exciting, for once!"

The Toads and Parakoopa all shook their heads in agreement with the Bub-Ulb's assessment.

"We're not the ones you need to apologize to." Luigi stated, shaking his head as they all piled out of the cramped cage into the shack proper. "If you guys want to help, just head back to Nimbihurst and let the mayor know you're safe. Mr. Parakoopa Whom I Somehow Haven't Gotten The Name Of Yet, you seem capable enough, do you think you can get these guys back to Nimbihurst in one piece? We would escort you all ourselves, but we kind of have to stop those guys and get the rest of the townsfolk to safety."

"Certainly." the Parakoopa replied, nodding confidently. "And I'll make sure the mayor knows how foolish we realize we were too. Thanks again for the food, and for helping us get out of here. Good luck sticking it to those so-called 'heroes', and be careful, this side of the volcano's crawling with these goggle wearing goons with X's all over 'em. I think they're affiliated with that wrinkly Ratooey, I saw him giving orders to 'em right around the time we got captured and stuck in here."

"How lovely." Yassie said sarcastically. "What about the Axems, do they have anyone under them, or are they using you guys exclusively?"

"No one that we could see." replied the Parakoopa. "Their side of the volcano's filled with all the creatures that were already in there when we showed up, though, since the Koopa Brothers and their goon squad went and drove 'em all over there, so I'm sure they're all good and agitated by now, what with us all disturbing their home and the like."

Luigi let out a weary sigh. "Great. Creepy, X marked weirdos, and angry, fiery wildlife. So much for easing into things... But uh, anyways, thanks for the info, but you guys should probably get going before the Koopa Brothers show up, I doubt they're gonna be in a very forgiving mood if they find you guys out and about."

"Ah, gotcha." the Parakoopa said, nodding. Leading the other prisoners out the door, he turned back and gave Luigi and Yassie a small salute before closing the door behind him, the prisoners all thanking them once more on their way out.

"We should get going too, Luigi." Yassie stated once the prisoners had left. "I don't really fancy fighting them right now, at least not until we know exactly what it is we're up against."

"Right." Luigi agreed, nodding as he led Yassie and Spooky over to the door. Peeking his head outside to make sure no one was coming, he quickly made his way out, motioning for the others to follow him. As they left the shack and rounded the corner on the mountainside to where the entrance was, however, their timing couldn't have been worse, for at that very moment, out from the entrance poured what looked to be an entire army of the strange, X marked goons that the Parakoopa had mentioned, being led by none other than the ugliest Ratooey that Luigi had ever seen in his life and the Koopa Brothers themselves. Panicking, Luigi dashed back behind the turn, then scooped up Spooky and dragged him and Yassie back towards the shack, hoping and praying none of them had noticed them.

"Alright, you bums! Look alive!" barked a voice that was unfamiliar to Luigi, which he guessed had to have come from the fat Ratooey. "I don't need to remind any of you of how dangerous this guy is, do I? Just because he's locked up, that does NOT mean you should let your guard down around him! I'm not about to take any chances this time, you guys are ALL going to keep an eye on him until we find what we're here for, got it?!"

A smattering of disorganized shouts of confirmation sounded from the army in response, and the noise of their footsteps marching closer and closer prompted Luigi to lead his group to the only place they could get to that wasn't out in the open; back into the shack.

* * *

DON'T WORRY GRANDPA, I'LL SAVE YOU!"

"B-Bwah, what in the-?!"

Mayor Kolby was startled awake from his evening nap by the shrill, panic-stricken voice of his granddaughter, who had burst through his office door and was no sooner tossing everything in the room about in some sort of frantic search for something.

"K-Kobaltia!" he cried out in shock at the sight of his beloved granddaughter, a sight he had been deprived of for far too long. The sight of what it was she was doing, however, made him less than pleased. "What in tarnation are you doin', girl?! Stop throwin' everything around like some sort of deranged tornado, you're scarin' poor Chompers!"

"But grandpa, I have to find the bomb those awful villains planted in here before it goes off and blows you guys and all of Nimbihurst to the Overthere!" Kobaltia said in urgency, as she continued to tear her grandfather's office apart with a purpose.

"B-Bomb?!" Kolby squawked in shock, as Chompers buried himself even further under his desk at the word. "What bomb?! What villains?!"

"The bomb that that vile, green-clothed mustache-twirler and his smart-aleck Yoshi underling planted here!" Kobaltia replied, looking at her grandfather with great concern. "They're the most dastardly villains I've ever layed my eyes upon, them and their awful little phantom pooch! They're making me risk everything by coming here to save you guys!"

"Mustache-twirler? Yoshi? ...Pooch...?" The gears began to turn slowly in Kolby's mind as his granddaughter's description of the so-called 'villains' formed a familiar picture for him. "...Wait just a minute, Kobaltia! You'd better not be talking about who I THINK you are!"

"W-What?" Kobaltia stuttered, stopping momentarily in her frantic search due to the tone of strictness in her grandfather's voice. "G-Grandfather, don't tell me you know of these villains as well?"

"If you're talking about that Luigi feller and his pal Yassie, then you bet your sweet bippy I do!" Kolby exclaimed, causing Kobaltia to elicit one of her trademark over-dramatic gasps.

"Grandfather, PLEASE don't tell me you bought into any of their honeyed lies!" Kobaltia cried, rushing up to her grandfather.

"Bah, they're the only people around here who HAVEN'T been lying lately!" Kolby stated, folding his arms and giving Kobaltia a stern look. "Don't you go and tell me you mistook them for villains, young lady! Why, there's nothing villainous about them or their sweet little dog in the least! The fact that you would even THINK to CONSIDER them villains is appalling, Kobaltia, and you should be ashamed for letting such a blasphemous thought enter your mind!"

"B-But grandfather!" Kobaltia pleaded. "You don't know them like I do! You haven't heard some of the things I've heard them say! Things like, for instance, THAT THEY'VE PLANTED A BOMB HERE IN YOUR OFFICE!"

"Oh, stop it, Kobaltia!" Kolby said, shaking his head in severe disapproval. "I've had it up to here with your tall tales, young lady! I'll have you know that those two are risking life and limb going into that awful volcano to rescue the rest of the poor townsfolk from the clutches of those awful 'heroes' of yours! Don't you tell me you've been causing them any trouble, because if you have been, then I FORBID you from causing them any more!"

"N-No, that's not fair!" Kobaltia pouted, dropping the pretense from her voice. "Really grandpa, those guys are up to no good, I swear they are!"

"No, Kobaltia, the only ones up to no good are those dirty rotten 'heroes' that have been feeding you and the rest of the townsfolk all those lies!" Kolby said firmly. "Please, Kobaltia, listen to me when I tell you that those guys are NOT heroes! Whatever they're up to, it's nothing good, and whatever it is they're doing in Mount Manjaw is going to doom us all if they're not stopped!"

"N-No..." Kobaltia whimpered, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. "H-How can you say such things, grandpa?! You... You don't know anything at all about the Koopa Brothers! They ARE heroes, really and truly! They have to find the volcano's sacred treasure before the Crimson 'Stache and those cheating Axem Rangers do! It's for the good of Nimbihurst, and the good of the world! Why can't you understand that?!"

"Kobaltia, open your eyes!" Kolby said, hopping angrily to his feet and slamming his cane down with authority. "There IS NO SACRED TREASURE! That whole business is nothing but a bunch of hoopla! The fact that those fakers think that it's real should be proof enough that they're lying! Wherever they got their info from, it's wrong! Please, Kobaltia, stay here and wait for Luigi to bring everyone back, then you'll be able to see the truth with your own eyes!"

"...No..." Kobaltia said quietly, her voice raising in volume dramatically as her head went back and forth rapidly. "No! You're wrong, grandpa! You're wrong about everything! You've always been wrong about everything! I'm not gonna let you tell me what's right and what's wrong anymore! I'll... I'll prove it to you that the Koopa Brothers are real heroes, and that that Loogie jerk is the ACTUAL villain!" Pushing herself away from her grandfather, Kobaltia bolted out the door from his office and then out of the Town Hall entirely, not bothering to close the doors behind her as her tears streamed from her face into the wind.

"K-Kobaltia, WAIT!" Kolby cried, as he scrambled away from his desk after her. He had no hope of catching up to her, however, and stopped once he got to the building's entrance, panting and wheezing as he watched Kobaltia run back off in the direction of Mount Manjaw. Chompers stopped beside him and whimpered loudly.

"Oh, Kobaltia..." Kolby said to himself quietly as he hung his head. "I'm so sorry... I just want you to be safe..."

"...M-Mayor!"

Kolby's eyes shot back upwards at the sudden sound of another voice, and he was shocked as he watched a small group of townsfolk make their way up to the entrance to Town Hall, led by an old Parakarry friend of his. The expression on the Parakarry's face was as shocked as Kolby's however.

"W-What in the world?!" Kolby exclaimed, at a near loss for words at the sight of the townsfolk. "W-What are you guys doing here, ain't you all supposed to be off in the volcano doin' those fake heroes' dirty work?!"

"We're sorry, Kolby..." the Parakarry said, bowing his head in deep regret. "We know we were wrong now, Luigi helped us realize that."

"L-Luigi?!" Kolby cried, his face taking on a look of hope for the first time in forever. "S-So you mean to tell me he and his group have actually made progress into the volcano?! Is there anyone else coming?!"

"Ah, n-no, sorry, mayor..." stated one of the two Toads that were in the small group. "We were all trapped in the old souvenir shack outside the volcano, the Koopa Brothers had us 'arrested' and thrown in there a while ago..."

"But they freed us from the prison they had constructed within it, and they even shared some of the last of their food with us!" said the Bub-Ulb tearily.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for them, we probably would've starved to death in there... All the while believing the Axems were coming to save us..." the other Toad added, letting out a small shiver at the thought.

"S-So you mean you guys don't...?" Kolby began, his eyes lighting up.

"No, we don't believe their lies anymore." the Parakoopa said, nodding firmly in confirmation.

"Yahoo!" Kolby exclaimed, jumping up in celebration, momentarily forgetting completely about all the pain in his battered old body. "I knew they could do it! And if they can convince you guys, they should be able to convince everyone else, too!"

"Yeah, I hope so..." the Parakoopa said, though he appeared to have other things on his mind. "Uh, Kolby, not to pry, but is everything right with Kobaltia? She just booked it past us back to Mount Manjaw, and she didn't look too happy..."

"Oh..." Kolby mumbled, all of the sudden happiness escaping from his body. "...She's still too stubborn to see what's right in front of her, I'm afraid... All I can hope now is that Luigi and Yassie can get through to her like they did with you guys before she goes and does something she regrets..."

* * *

"Buh huh huh huh huh, alright, tubby, looks like it's finally game over for you!" shouted the Ratooey, as he and the Koopa Brothers barged in through the shack's door not even ten seconds after Luigi and Yassie had. As he stood in place, unable to keep himself from giddily chortling in his strange, buhing and huhing manner, he didn't notice that anything was amiss, at least, not until he realized no one was saying anything. "Buh huh huh... Huh? Oh come on, don't tell me you've got nothing to..." The Ratooey's giddiness soon came to an abrupt halt the moment he opened his eyes and noticed the distinct lack of mustachioed plumbers and blue Ninja Koopas there were in the room. Looking around the shack, the only other people he could see were the Koopa Brothers, who all stood with looks of anger and disbelief on their faces. Why, even the Axem sympathizers that had been in the shack's prison cell were nowhere to be seen, the cell's door swung wide open! As he turned to the Koopa Brothers, the look of unbridled rage that he shot them was enough to make them all retreat into their shells in fear of his upcoming tantrum.

"WHAT... IS... THIS?!" he bellowed at the Koopas, stomping in place angrily and looking so red that _he_ appeared to be ready to erupt at any moment. "I THOUGHT YOU TOLD THAT IDIOTIC CO-HORT OF YOURS TO STAY HERE AND KEEP AN EYE ON HIM UNTIL WE GOT HERE! WELL, WHERE IS SHE?! AND WHERE'S THE PLUMBER?! WHERE IS _**EVERYONE**_?!"

"Ah! W-We d-d-d-don't know, M-Master Sliver!" cried Red, who seemed to be at just as much for a loss of words as Sliver was. "Sh-Sh-She gave me her word that she wouldn't take her eyes off of him until we arrived! Sh-She had him locked in the cage too, I saw him with my own eyes! I-I-I have no idea what could have happened!"

"Bah, I do!" shouted Sliver, shaking his head angrily and pointing his fat, wrinkly finger at Red. "She messed up, just like she always does! She hasn't been able to do even ONE, single, itty bitty little thing competently since you recruited her! Do you realize how bad you're making me look?! What kind of villains _ARE_ you?! Between that moron, and the fact that it's taken you guys this long and you STILL haven't been able to find a simple measly legendary treasure, is this the thanks I get for picking you losers up out of that home for has-beens children's entertainer circuit that I found you guys slumming it in?!"

"N-No, Master, w-w-we're so sorry!" Red groveled, as he and his brothers bowed their heads at him in shame. "P-Please, f-f-forgive us! W-We'll f-find that treasure before the day's over, you have our word! And d-don't worry, we're going to be having a change in membership immediately, we were fools for thinking we needed a fifth member to compete with those dumb Axems! I promise, you won't have to worry about Blue messing things up for you anymore, she was never a REAL Koopa Brother in the first place, we were just stringing her along all this time, because she was so gullible she was willing to do anything we asked her to do! But no more, if she ever shows her face around any of us again, we'll show her what happens when you try to make fools out the Koopa Brothers!"

"...Buh. Whatever." Sliver said uncaringly after a good minute of the Koopa Brothers begging on hands and knees in front of him. "I'll give you guys one more chance, but if you don't find that treasure today, or if another little incident like THIS happens, then _I'LL_ show _YOU_ and everyone else what happens when you try to make a fool out of _me_. _**GOT IT?**_ "

"Y-Y-Y-Yes sir!" the Koopa Brothers cried in unison, nodding rapidly in agreement.

"Good." Sliver grunted. "Now get your butts in gear back to the volcano, and take the X-Nauts with you, I don't trust you guys to make it back in one piece on your own. I swear, if those stupid Axems end up finding that thing and getting all the credit..." As the Koopa Brothers hung their heads and began to file out of the shack, Sliver could've swore he saw something move out of the corner of his eye in the massive mountain of souvenir junk that had previously been the shack's main reason for existence but which was now piled high against the empty make-shift jail cell in one big useless lump.

"...Wait a minute!"

The Koopa Brothers all turned on their heels to face Sliver, as the Ratooey went over to the pile of junk and looked it over curiously, particularly the part sticking out that looked suspiciously like the zoom lens of a video camera with a dog's tongue wrapped around it in a poor attempt to camouflage it as some sort of strange, strawberry volcano churro. _Especially_ once it started dripping some kind of foul, slimy goo from the pink part.

"...Ugh, and remind me to have one of you losers clean this garbage up later, it's been festering here for so long that I think it's starting to gain sentience..." Sliver muttered in disgust as he turned to look away from the vile 'churro', his appetite instantly lost. A few seconds later, he and the Koopa Brothers had exited the shack, as they and the X-Nauts marched their way back into the volcano. A few seconds after that, the mountain of junk collapsed, and Luigi, Yassie, and Spooky emerged from within it.

"Shimmerin' Starman, that was too close." Yassie said lowly, wiping her brow in relief. "But um, thanks for the save, Spooky, I can't believe I bumped the zoom button like that..."

Spooky yipped happily as he sucked his tongue back into his mouth from around Yassie's camcorder and walked over to her to give her a licking.

"Oh, jeez..." Yassie groaned once Spooky was done with her, as she walked over to pick her camcorder back up. "Ugh, I don't think my warranty covers ectoplasm..."

"Hey, at least you don't have a mustache to worry about getting it out of." Luigi said with a chuckle, as he handed Yassie a couple of souvenir towels from the pile of junk. His laughter soon faded, however, and Yassie was quick to notice the troubling look that had appeared on his face.

"What's with the sour expression, Luigi?" she asked worriedly as she dried her face and camera as best she could.

"Uh... Well, there's good news and bad news, I suppose..." Luigi said after a moment, though judging by his tone of voice, it was more like terrible news and slightly less terrible news.

"Oh boy..." Yassie said in concern as she finished drying herself and gave Luigi her full attention. "I take it you know who that Sliver guy was?"

"Er, no, actually." Luigi replied, shaking his head. "I have no idea who he is, but boy, if I could go the rest of my life without having to see his horrifying, wrinkly face ever again that'd be great. Uh, but no, I don't know who he is, but... I do know who those other guys were, those X covered freak shows. Those were X-Nauts, like the Ratooey said, though who knows why _he_ knows what they are. Again, this is all second hand information from my brother, but not too long ago, he and the princess got caught up in this awful mess over in Rogueport involving some doohickeys called the Crystal Stars, and the X-Nauts were the reason why they got caught up in it in the first place. They kidnapped the princess, and Mario had to go on this big ol' adventure to rescue her like always. He said the X-Naut's leader, some mechanical creep called Gro... Gro... Gropher, or something like that, was trying to use the princess and the Crystal Stars to resurrect some ancient, evil witch of some sort that was buried underneath Rogueport for the past thousand years so he could use her terrible power to take over the world. Mario, of course, stopped that from happening, but he said after he got back, one of his friends from that journey had told him that the X-Nauts had been disbanded, and that Gropher had been reduced to nothing but a head. So something is wrong here... Either Gropher is somehow managing to lead the X-Nauts as only a head, or someone else has gotten them back together... And the Koopa Brothers too, apparently."

"Yikes, I take it that's the bad news..." Yassie said, looking grimmer and grimmer the more Luigi had to say. "So, what's the good news, then?"

"The good news, if it can even be considered that at this point, is that at least this means Bowser isn't involved with this." Luigi answered. "But, well, I kind of figured that was the case already, so..."

"...Okay, so basically, all we know about these guys so far is that they've somehow gotten ahold of various groups of evil-doers that your brother stopped in the past, all of whom were unaffiliated with each other up until now... Right?" Yassie asked once she had pooled everything Luigi had told her about who they were up against in her head.

"I... I guess..." Luigi responded, letting out a whimper soon afterwards. "It sounds so much worse when you say it like that, though..."

"Well, whoever these guys are, the only connection they seem to have so far besides being evil is your brother." Yassie stated, putting her hand to her chin in thought. "In that, they've all had their butts kicked by him."

"That's not saying much, though." Luigi said, shaking his head. "My brother's kicked a LOT of people's butts, pretty much anyone who has ever done anything remotely evil in the general vicinity of the Mushroom Kingdom has gotten beaten by him at one point or another, I'd imagine."

"Hmm..." Yassie shook her head. "Well, I guess now's not the best time to worry about it. Let's just focus on one thing at a time right now, alright?"

"Yeah..." Luigi said, nodding absently. He had been the one to bring up the counterpoint, but he couldn't help but feel apprehension at what Yassie had pointed out...

Regardless, he did his best to shake the thoughts out of his head, for he knew the task at hand was going to be dreadful enough as it was.

"We should try to hurry." Luigi stated, as he led the others back towards the door. "I've been in more volcanoes than I can count, and they are NOT fun. The longer you spend in one, the more you begin to understand what being a meatball feels like."

"Duly noted." Yassie replied, sounding just as enthused as Luigi was about getting to adventure into such an oven.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to get everyone out without too much trouble... But I doubt that'll be the case." Luigi stated, letting out a sigh as he knew nothing on this adventure was going to be anything close to lacking in trouble. "But oh well, as long as we can get to whatever it is that's in there before the Koopas or Axems do... Assuming there's even anything in there at all."

"And that's a pretty big assumption..." Yassie added, frowning. "But either way, we still have to get everyone out of there to safety, so get ready to try and talk some sense into more delusional nutjobs."

Luigi nodded wearily in response as he opened the door.

" **LYING SCOUNDRELS!** "

"Well, that was a lot sooner than I expected it to be." Yassie said with a heavy sigh, as she looked back in annoyance at the delusional nutjob that stood on the other side of the door. "We're never going to actually make it into the volcano, are we?"

"Not if I have any say in things, you fiend!" Blue shouted dramatically, though by this point her shtick had worn itself more than thin on Luigi and Yassie, and they merely sighed in response.

"Listen, we don't have time for this anymore." Luigi said, almost pleadingly. "Please, we have to get into the volcano so we can rescue the rest of the townsfolk."

"HA!" Blue snorted. "Don't even TRY to go back to pretending you're not cold-hearted, ruthless villains, fool! Your lies won't work on me!"

"Oh, for crying out loud, didn't your grandpa talk any sense into you?" Yassie said irritably, not at all wanting to put up with any more of Blue's nonsense.

"No, because you two have corrupted his mind beyond hope!" Blue proclaimed angrily. "You somehow have him believing that you're truly not villains, I shudder to think what heinous tricks you used on him to convince him of such an obvious lie! Now enough chatter, get back into your cell where you belong before my senseis arrive, unless you want to do it the hard way again!"

"Oh honey, your 'senseis' already came and left a while ago." Yassie said, giving Blue a look of pity as she remembered what her idols had said about her. "And if I were you, I wouldn't go looking for them any time soon."

Blue froze in place, unable to even let out one of her usual gasps. "W-W-What? Oh n-no, then that means..." Blue flashed an almost murderous glare at the two of them. "You made me look bad in front of them! You made me look like an incompetent, lying IDIOT! Now I'll NEVER become a real Koopa Brother, and it's ALL _YOUR_ FAULTS!"

"You weren't ever going to become a 'real' Koopa Brother in the first place!" Yassie shouted, returning Blue's glare in kind. "Are you _REALLY_ so blind as to not see what's going on here?"

"Okay, if you're so sure of yourself, then SHOW ME!" Blue demanded, getting right up in Yassie's face. "SHOW ME how blind I am! Go on, prove to me that you're not villains and that I've been wrong all along!"

"...Fine, but don't say we didn't warn you." Yassie said, as she pulled out her camcorder and began pressing buttons on it until a frozen image appeared on its display.

"W-Wait, what's that...?" Blue said shakily, as she stared at the image of the Koopa Brothers and their master that was displayed on the camcorder's viewfinder.

"Your proof." Yassie said quietly, as she pressed the play button to start the recording.

_"WHAT... IS... THIS?! I THOUGHT YOU TOLD THAT IDIOTIC CO-HORT OF YOURS TO STAY HERE AND KEEP AN EYE ON HIM UNTIL WE GOT HERE! WELL, WHERE IS SHE?! AND WHERE'S THE PLUMBER?! WHERE IS EVERYONE?!"_

_"Ah! W-We d-d-d-don't know, M-Master Sliver! Sh-Sh-She gave me her word that she wouldn't take her eyes off of him until we arrived! Sh-She had him locked in the cage too, I saw him with my own eyes! I-I-I have no idea what could have happened!"_

_"Bah, I do! She messed up, just like she always does! She hasn't been able to do even ONE, single, itty bitty little thing competently since you recruited her! Do you realize how bad you're making me look?! What kind of villains ARE you?! Between that moron, and the fact that it's taken you guys this long and you STILL haven't been able to find a simple measly legendary treasure, is this the thanks I get for picking you losers up out of that home for has-beens children's entertainer circuit that I found you guys slumming it in?!"_

_"N-No, Master, w-w-we're so sorry! P-Please, f-f-forgive us! W-We'll f-find that treasure before the day's over, you have our word! And d-don't worry, we're going to be having a change in membership immediately, we were fools for thinking we needed a fifth member to compete with those dumb Axems! I promise, you won't have to worry about Blue messing things up for you anymore, she was never a REAL Koopa Brother in the first place, we were just stringing her along all this time, because she was so gullible she was willing to do anything we asked her to do! But no more, if she ever shows her face around any of us again, we'll show her what happens when you try to make fools out the Koopa Brothers!"_

Yassie stopped the recording, and she and Luigi waited in silence.

"..." Blue, for the first time since Luigi and Yassie had crossed paths with her, appeared to be at a complete and utter loss for words. Even as Yassie put it away, she stood rooted in place staring at where the camcorder's viewfinder had been. She opened her mouth, as if to say something to dispute what she had just watched, but no words came out, and her body quickly began to quiver.

"...Look, we're sorry, Kobaltia." Luigi said, as he and Yassie gave her heartfelt, compassionate looks of pity. "You shouldn't have had to have found out about it in such an awful way, but... There's nothing you can do."

"Now you see how awful they truly are, don't you?" Yassie added softly. "That's the kind of two-faced creeps they all are, and that's why we have to stop them."

"...Kobaltia... You should go back home to your grandpa." Luigi said, trying to keep from upsetting Kobaltia anymore than she already was. "We can handle the rest from here, but you don't need to get hurt any more. I'm sure he's missing you terribly, so why don't you just-"

" _ **NO!**_ " Kobaltia suddenly screamed, causing Luigi and Yassie to cover their ears in pain. "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! I D-DON'T BELIEVE IT! I D-D-DON'T B-BELIEVE ANY OF IT! IT'S L-LIES! I-IT'S ALL L-L-L-LIES! GRANDPA'S LYING TO ME! YOU'RE LYING TO ME! EVERYONE IS LYING TO ME!"

"Kobaltia, please, denying this is just going to hurt you even more." Luigi pleaded, as he reached out to place a hand on the Koopa's shoulder. She rebuked it, however, pushing him over into Yassie and knocking both of them to the ground.

"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU CARE!" she shrieked, as she began to back away from the doorway, shaking her head rapidly once more. "Y-YOU'RE VILLAINS! N-NOT THE KOOPA BROTHERS! TH-TH-THEY WOULD NEVER SAY THOSE THINGS! ALL I HAVE T-T-TO DO IS FIND THEM AND APOLOGIZE, AND EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY!"

"W-Wait, no it won't!" Yassie cried in alarm, as she and Luigi stumbled back to their feet. "Kobaltia, they're going to hurt you if they see you!"

"NO THEY WON'T!" Kobaltia insisted. "THEY WOULD NEVER HURT ME, THEY'RE MY SENSEIS AND I'M THEIR STAR PUPIL! AND THEY'RE HEROES, AND HEROES ONLY HURT BAD GUYS, SO I'LL BE FINE!"

"THEY'RE NOT HEROES!" Luigi and Yassie cried out in unison, but it fell on deaf ears, as Kobaltia was already racing off towards the volcano by the time they had finished.

"N-No, you idiot!" Yassie shouted in vain as they took off after her towards the entrance of the volcano, her figure disappearing from their sights as she entered the volcano. "Luigi, we have to stop her! Kolby'll never forgive us if we let anything happen to her!"

"I-I know, but she's too fast!" Luigi cried as they reached the volcano's entrance, Kobaltia already nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, Luigi got an idea, and he glanced down at Spooky in urgency. "Spooky, quick, follow after her, and leave a trail! Don't let those Koopa Brothers or that Ratooey do anything to her!"

Spooky let out a bark of compliance, and immediately darted into the volcano as fast as his little feet could carry him, his nose working overtime as he struggled to find the Koopa's distinctive scent, and his tongue dragging between his legs as he left a trail of goo for Luigi and Yassie to follow. Before long, he too had disappeared from their sight, and the two stood quietly in the dark, ominous opening, their hearts pounding out of their chests.

"Spooky's trail isn't going to last long." Luigi stated, trying desperately to keep himself from panicking.

"Then what are we doing just standing around here for?!" Yassie cried. "Let's go!"

Without a second thought, Yassie plunged herself into the hot, unwelcoming volcano, Luigi scampering quickly behind her, both of them overcome with a feeling of dread in anticipation of what Mount Manjaw would have to throw at them.

"Oh, mama mia..."


	11. Chapter 1 Part 4: Into The Volcano

"Mount Manjaw... I've heard stories about this place, and none of them have been pleasant."

Luigi let out a whimper as Yassie spoke. The two were clambering desperately after the quickly dissipating trail of luminescent goo that Spooky had left behind, struggling to keep an eye on it within the dark pathway they were on. It thankfully was the only pathway that had appeared since they entered the volcano, but both Luigi and Yassie knew that wouldn't be the case for very long.

"They say this was where a fierce battle took place ages and ages ago between the legendary hero, Kardarius Koover, and invaders from one of the neighboring kingdoms." Yassie said, somewhat impressively while running. "His forces were supposedly massively outnumbered, yet somehow, his small group overcame the odds dramatically and routed the opposing army. I suppose having something like a Dream Caster on your side would help in such a matter, but who knows how much of that story is actually true. Beyond that, Mount Manjaw is usually forbidden from the public, not only because its, well, lethally hot in here, but because there's supposed to be all manner of terrifying beasts roaming its caverns. Let's hope they really did all get chased to the other side of the volcano and we won't have to deal with them..."

"That's not likely..." Luigi grumbled, knowing full well already that they would end up having to cross paths with the hideous things, as that was just how things always seemed to work with him.

Chatter was soon brought to a minimum so the two could focus on keeping up with Spooky's trail, and soon enough, they had emerged from the long entry corridor into a, well, cavernous room, so to speak. To their slight relief, a few lanterns hung along the walls, giving the room a dim light, enough for the two to be able to see a few feet in front of them, at least. Unfortunately, that also meant the other occupants of the room, a small group of X-Nauts, could see them as well, and they quickly rushed at the duo, giving them little time to prepare.

"Gah!" Luigi groaned as he picked himself back up from one of the X-Nauts' surprise attack. "Urgh, not quite the warm welcome I was expecting..."

"Ugh, now's not the time for awful wordplays, Luigi!" Yassie chastised, as she too hopped back to her feet and into a battle pose. "I know pretty much the same as you do about these freaks, unfortunately, but they seem like pretty lowly mooks, if you ask me. HP is 5, Attack is 1, and Defense is 0. Just looking at them, I can tell that they probably don't know how to do much more than throw their weight around at us, so just time their bodyslams and we should be golden, Luigi!"

The X-Nauts, predictably, took offense to being called 'lowly mooks', and even more predictably, proceeded to throw themselves at Luigi and Yassie again. This time, without the element of surprise, their attacks did little to the duo, and they were quickly taken care of.

"Urgh, I hope it's just because they've been in a volcano all this time, but those guys smell like they haven't bathed in _years_..." Yassie shuddered as the X-Nauts ran off, waving her hand in front of her face to try and dissipate the already hot and now also rancid air that pooled around her.

"I doubt the volcano has anything to do with it." Luigi muttered, thinking back to the vivid descriptions both his brother and the princess had used in describing the X-Nauts in the past. "Although, something tells me we won't be smelling like roses by the time we get out of here either."

"...Bleah." Yassie whined. "Let's get out of here as soon as possible, in that case, so I can get somewhere with a nice, hot shower... Er, scratch the hot part."

Getting back on the trail of Spooky's slobber, the two soon realized that they wouldn't likely be getting out of there anytime soon at all.

"Oh, no!" Luigi groaned, as the duo reached the end of the trail, which lead directly up to a predictably locked heavy metal door. Try as they may, neither Luigi nor Yassie could get the door to budge an inch, and they slumped down in unison, the overwhelming heat making their exhaustion that much more noticeable to them.

"Oh, great. Now what do we do?" Yassie exclaimed, glaring sourly at the door.

"I... Guess we look for the key." Luigi said, letting out a heavy sigh soon afterwards as he looked out at the rest of the cavernous room. Besides the entrance they had come from, and the one they were at now, there were two other openings, neither of them impeded by a door, but both also too dark to see very far down from where they were.

"Gah, but what about Kobaltia and Spooky?" Yassie whimpered, kicking the door in frustration. "Who knows how long it'll take us to find the key in a place like this, we'll probably end up going down the wrong path first and everything!"

Luigi stood still for a moment, a thoughtful look coming over his face as his mind processed the current situation. "...You know, this is probably going to sound really, REALLY dumb, but something tells me Spooky can handle this until we find the key." As Yassie looked back at him incredulously, Luigi tried his best to explain. "See, Mario and I have been in situations like this before, lots of times, actually, where we seemingly had no time to spare but had to go through a ridiculously long and complicated process to finally reach our destination, and we always somehow managed to arrive just in the nick of time, even when it seemed like it was literally impossible for us to have taken so long and for nothing bad to have happened in the meantime."

"Yassie blinked. And blinked again. "...You're joking."

"Nope." Luigi said simply, shaking his head. "Still, it'd probably be in our best interest not to dawdle regardless, because even in those times, we were still in a rush, so I'm not too keen on pushing the limits on this... Thing."

"...If you say so, Luigi." Yassie said finally, deciding to trust Luigi's judgment despite every bit of common sense in her mind screaming at her not to, because it's not like they had any other way to get through the door any faster, right...? "...Er, so which way do we go first?"

"Left is _ALWAYS_ right." Luigi said, making an L shape with his left hand and then finger gunning it in the direction of the pathway that was in the northwest corner of the room.

* * *

"...Okay, maybe it's not _ALWAYS_ right..." Luigi muttered in slight embarrassment. The duo didn't get very far into the room to the northwest before things suddenly got very bright, and somehow even more blisteringly hot than it already was. In fact, they didn't get very far into the room at all, seeing as the cause of the sudden brightness and heatwave was a massive chasm filled with boiling magma. Or lava. Or... Something. Listen, I'm just the narrator, not a volcanologist or anything, you can't expect me to know the difference between these type of things... ANYWAYS, their progress was halted rather abruptly, although tauntingly enough, there appeared to be another small opening into another room on the other side of the lava lake.

"Well, I can't imagine the key's going to be this way, at least." Yassie stated, trying to remain hopeful. "I mean, if we can't get over there, then there's no way those Koopa Brother morons or their goons could."

"Y-Yeah..." Luigi muttered, though he seemed too distracted by the entrance at the other side to pay much attention to what Yassie what saying.

"At least we didn't waste too much time going this way first." Yassie said, as she turned to leave the room, before having to turn back and grab Luigi to drag him back out with her. "Come on, Luigi! What happened to no dawdling?"

"...O-Oh, y-yeah, right..." Luigi mumbled, as he stared back longingly at the mysterious entrance until it faded from his sight. If there was one thing that years of adventuring had taught Luigi, besides left ALWAYS being right, it was that rooms like that ALWAYS held the rarest and most priceless of treasures... But no matter, they'd soon be back, surely.

Back out in the larger room, the two this time took the final southeastern passageway, emerging on the other side to a much more narrow room, though one that thankfully had torches adorning its walls as well. They were quickly spotted in this brighter room by a group of X-Nauts accompanied by a trio of miserable looking Goombas, one of each variety, who nonetheless made their way over to the duo to engage in battle with them. While the heat exhausted Goombas were easily dispatched, the X-Nauts proved a bit more troublesome. Taking advantage of the Goombas' presence as distractions and veritable meatshields, they managed to land a few solid hits on the also heat exhausted Luigi and Yassie before they were defeated. On the plus side, the room also contained a few items boxes, though they merely yielded a pocketful of coins, a rather unpleasantly warm and brown looking Honey Syrup, and a Dried Shroom, which Luigi regarded with contempt, taking it almost as a taunt after receiving the damage they did from the X-Nauts.

Regardless, once they had harvested the room of its meager treasures, they were faced with another branching path, both of them quite near to one another at the far end of the narrow hallway of a room. Figuring his sage wisdom couldn't be wrong twice, Luigi again chose the leftmost path. It took even less time for him to be proven wrong this time, as the room they emerged in no keys or chests to speak of. What it did contain, however, was a large wall of iron bars splitting the room in half, with an alarmingly high number of ragged, near game over townsfolk being blocked off on the side opposite Luigi and Yassie. On their side, all it contained was a single, snoozing X-Naut sitting at a small desk in front of the jail. Noticing this, the duo quickly brought the fingers to their lips in an effort to keep the jailed citizens hushed before they made any noise to wake it up.

"OH MY STARS, NORMAL PEOPLE!" instantly shouted one of the townsfolk as he caught sight of the heroes, causing the rest of them to all clamber over to the bars and clamor at them as well. Soon enough, a deafening roar of "SAVE US!" and "GET US OUT OF HERE!" began to echo around the cramped room, ending their stealth mission rather hastily, as one might expect.

"Jeez, something tells me we aren't going to be catching _any_ breaks anytime soon..." Yassie said with a sigh, as she and Luigi readied themselves for battle with the now alert X-Naut. Unexpectedly, rather than bumrush them as the previous X-Nauts had all done immediately once they had caught sight of them, this one pulled out a whistle, its shrill noise being amplified greatly in the echo chamber of a room, and as Luigi and Yassie instinctively clutched their hands over their ears, they were taken by surprise by a group of three more X-Nauts which rushed in the entryway behind them, slamming them both painfully into the iron bars.

"...Welp, so much for that rescue." one of the townsfolk said with a sigh, which was echoed by the rest of the jailed citizens as they all slumped back down in depression at the sight of the heroes being knocked about like ragdolls.

Undeterred, Luigi and Yassie gritted their teeth and got back up quickly before the X-Nauts could get any more cheap shots in. Luckily, they were all predisposed buhing and huhing amongst themselves, something they seem to have picked up from Sliver, and the duo were able to get a few quick shots in themselves before the playing field evened itself out. Seeing this, the fickle townsfolk soon perked back up and were piled up against the bars, shouting words of encouragements at the heroes, making the fight feel as if it were taking place in the Glitz Pit rather than the middle of a volcano.

Perhaps taking note of this, Luigi decided to add a bit of flash to his attacks, never one to disappoint a captive audience. The stylish moves he pulled off wowed the 'crowd', even making Yassie step back and take notice, as she hastily shifted her focus to catching his display on camera, as he was handling the remaining X-Nauts with ease all on his own. Everyone oohed and ahhed, completely dazzled by Luigi's stylishness, right up to the point where he made one hammer-assisted backflip too many, crashing his head straight into the regrettably unlit and shockingly low ceiling, causing him to fall limply and harmlessly back to the ground as if he were a mere piece of paper.

... _*COUGH*_

Right, anyhow, this display thankfully got the X-Nauts laughing once more alongside the 'audience', giving Yassie enough time to knock them both out with a couple of swift egg shots before they could capitalize on Luigi's blunder. As soon as they were ran off, Yassie hustled over to where Luigi lay, rubbing the back of his head in pain.

"Shoot, you okay?" Yassie asked in concern, as she held out a hand to help Luigi up with.

"...Er, y-yeah, so long as you make sure that little bit gets erased from your archives, I will be." Luigi muttered out of earshot from the townsfolk as he got to his feet, seemingly hurt more in his pride than anywhere else, thankfully.

"Oh, of course, Luigi, sure thing!" Yassie said, grinning and nodding enthusiastically, distracting him from noticing her crossing her fingers behind her back. "Anyhoo, let's go and see if any of those poor townsfolk know where the key might be. Oh, and get them out of here too, of course. Probably in reverse order, ehehehe..."

Nodding, Luigi walked alongside Yassie up to the bars, where the townsfolk were all still wildly cheering like they'd just seen the Great Gonzales Jr. whoop another fool's behind at the Glitz Pit.

"Oh wow, that was SO _AWESOME_!" shouted the nearest townsperson as the duo approached the cage. "You guys got sent by the Axems to get us out, right?!"

Luigi and Yassie exchanged beleaguered glances at one another at the word 'Axem', neither of them in the mood to deal with any more nutjobs.

"If we say yes, will you tell us HOW to get you out of there, and then by chance how to open that big iron door in the main lobby?" Yassie asked in exasperation, not at all wanting to have to convince anyone else that they were talking crazy that day.

"Sure thing!" the Toad girl chirped, more than happy to assist another Axem devotee. "You need keys for both!"

"Yeah, we uh, kinda guessed that already, sunshine." Yassie stated irritably, already growing more impatient with this group than she had with the group in the shack. "You wouldn't happen to know where either of those keys are, would you?"

"Oh, of course!" the Toad responded with an eager nod, and to Luigi and Yassie's combined shock, she procured two keys from the swath of villagers, one large and iron, the other much smaller and more makeshift looking. "We snatched these from that dumb ol' guard a little while ago when he fell asleep a little too close to the bars, hehehe!"

"Wait, why haven't you used them to escape already, then?" Luigi asked in confusion, the obvious immediately springing to his and Yassie's minds.

"Oh, well, actually, to tell the truth, THIS one is the key to that big iron door you were talking about, I think..." the Toad said, holding the larger key aloft, before shifting to hold the smaller one up in its place. "...But THIS one, is actually for another jail cell in a completely different part of the volcano, rottenly enough! I guess that gross, wrinkly Ratooey didn't have too much faith in his guard in the first place, since when the putz called him to tell him he had 'lost' the keys, the Ratooey started going on about how it was a good thing he had given him and the other guard the wrong keys, since he knew something like that was bound to happen. Then he started buhing and huhing in this really creepy way, and told him he was lucky that he was too busy looking into a more mustachioed matter to deal with him at the moment."

"Oh..." Luigi said, as he and Yassie blinked at each other, dumbfounded. "Well, that's... Inconvenient."

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to give us that iron key so we can take care of business first, and then come back to get you guys out after we've driven those Koopa Brother morons and Axem Ranger idiots out from here, huh?" Yassie asked, putting on a sweet, innocent smile that she knew probably wasn't going to help at all.

The Toad grinned and nodded happily back, to Yassie's surprise. "Sure! I mean, you guys seem tru-"

"WAIT JUST A MINUTE!" snarled a Koopa from behind the Toad girl, who suddenly and swiftly snatched the iron key from her grasp as he pushed his way to the front of the cage. "Did you just call the Axem Rangers IDIOTS?!"

The other villagers simultaneously gasped in horror once they collectively realized what Yassie had said, and their gazes went from welcoming and gracious to hostile and suspicious in an instant.

"U-Um..." Yassie blinked rapidly, immediately smacking herself inwardly once she realized herself what she had said. "Gah, me and my big mouth..."

"YOU'RE NO HEROES AT ALL, ARE YOU?!" the Koopa shouted in disgust, the sound of the dreaded 'H word' striking a nerve with both Luigi and Yassie. "There's NO WAY that we'd give ANYTHING to the likes of a couple of Axem haters!"

"Oh man, not this again..." Luigi muttered in annoyance, pinching his nasal bridge between his fingers as he shook his head. "Okay, listen up, all of you. No, we're not friends of the Axems, but we're also not friends of the Koopa Brothers. As a matter of fact, the reason we're in such a rush to get through that iron door is because there's a good chance they're about to do something awful to the mayor's granddaughter, Kobaltia. We realize that it's only our word, but please, we HAVE to get through there as soon as possible, we _SWEAR_ on our good names that we'll get you guys out of here as soon as we've dealt with them, so please, could you give us that key?"

While the villagers all seemed decidedly nonplussed with nearly everything that had come out of Luigi's mouth, namedropping Kobaltia seemed to have struck a chord, and the Koopa quickly huddled together with the rest of the townsfolk as they decided what they should do. Finally, they broke from their huddle, and the Koopa marched back up to the bars, getting right in Luigi's face but making sure to keep they key out of his and Yassie's reach.

"Alright, if what you say is true, then I suppose we have no choice but to surrender this key to you two..." the Koopa grumbled, Luigi and Yassie's eyes lighting up in excitement. That light was soon snuffed however, as the Koopa sharply continued. "BUT! There's the chance that you're lying, too! So here's the deal: We give you guys THIS key, the one to the other cell, you use it to free whoever they have cooped up in there, then get OUR key from the guard there, and come and free us. THEN, and only then, will we give you your precious key."

"Gah, but..." Luigi began helplessly, as he and Yassie looked pleadingly back at the Koopa, whose stance they realized wasn't going to be budging.

"...Fine, we'll do it your way." Yassie said bitterly, not wanting to waste any more time as she walked over and snatched the cell key from the Koopa. "But if anything happens to Kobaltia, it'll be on your heads, and we'll make sure the mayor knows all about that when we get out."

The duo decided to go without another word, leaving the Koopa and the other villagers to stew on Yassie's parting words, some of them already beginning to regret letting the stubborn Koopa speak for all of them.

"Well, hopefully it's not too much further to the other jail..." Yassie said with a sigh, though she knew with the way things were going so far that that was about as good of a chance of happening as a snowball surviving for longer than a second in their current location. Nevertheless, she and Luigi soldiered on through the other passageway, the two emerging in what had to be the longest, most narrow passage they had discovered so far. The hallway was so long, that even with the abundance of lamps, the two couldn't see all the way down to the other end of it. Though, disconcertingly enough, they could sure hear something, and whatever it was seemed to be getting closer and closer to them. Suddenly, the two caught sight of the source of the noise, as a couple of Bullet Bills shot out of the darkness in front of them, heading on a collision course straight for them!

Thinking quickly, or at least as quickly as he could given the situation, Luigi managed to pull out his hammer just in time to smack one of the Bullet Bills off course, sending it careening into a wall where it exploded. Unfortunately, neither he nor Yassie were quick enough to divert the course of the second one, and it slammed right into Luigi, hitting him for a good chunk of damage.

"L-Luigi!" Yassie cried, as she clambered over to Luigi.

"N-No time, keep moving!" Luigi groaned painfully, as he stumbled back to his feet as fast as he could and continued rushing forward, Yassie following in confusion right behind him.

"Luigi, what are you-"

"JUMP!" Luigi yelled suddenly, as another group of Bullet Bills appeared from the darkness ahead of them, the duo just managing to avoid them thanks to Luigi's cue. Noticing a small alcove to the right, Luigi hastily herded Yassie over to it, slumping down against the wall once they were out of harm's way in order to catch his breath as more groups of Bullet Bills continued to fire seemingly endlessly down the hallway.

"Those things never stop firing once they catch sight of somebody..." Luigi explained once he had gotten some air back into his lungs. Unfortunately, the small break also caused his adrenaline to wear off, and all the pain that came with getting smashed in the gut with a giant bullet came flooding into his body. He hated having to do it so soon, but he pulled out one of the few Mushrooms they had left and downed it in one gulp, as he knew he had to have been in the danger zone by that point after all the abuse he had taken since coming into the volcano.

"Ah, nuts, I'm sorry, I forgot to ask if you wanted any." Luigi said in shame once he realized he hadn't offered Yassie any of the Mushroom, realizing she had been beaten up pretty badly herself during the trip so far.

Yassie shook her head, however. "No worries, I'm good. But man oh man, I'm not looking forward to stepping back out there..."

"Yeah, me neither..." Luigi said in agreement, as he began studying the small alcove to see if there was anything that would be of use to them in getting through the hallway unscathed. As it turns out, right above them was a blue exclamation mark box, which neither had noticed up to that point as it was somewhat hidden in the darkness of the unlit alcove. "Well, it can't hurt." Luigi stated with a shrug, as he hopped up and bopped the block with his fist. Unfortunately, nothing happened as the two waited for it to take an effect on the barrage of Bullet Bills, the only thing either of them noticed was a faint ticking sound, like that of a clock, which slowly got more and more rapid and it finally stopped, causing the blue block to reappear above Luigi's head.

Luigi let out a sigh as he frowned. "Hmm. Well, whatever this does, it's on a timer, but I think we're gonna have to stop the Bill Blasters before we can figure out just what that is."

"Great." Yassie whimpered, as the two prepared to step back out into the open fire. Waiting until just after a pair of Bullet Bills whizzed by, the two scrambled back out into the hallway and rushed forward as fast as their tired legs could manage, using the sounds of the Bullet Bills as a cue for when to jump. Finally, after what had to be a good half a minute of near misses, the two found their way at the end of the hallway, the only thing standing between them and freedom being the pair of Bill Blaster that were sending out the endless stream of pain and terror. Raising his hammer above his head, Luigi timed one last jump over and sent it crashing down upon one of the Bill Blasters, doing a pitiful amount of damage to it.

"Gah, I forgot how tough these things were!" Luigi winced, as the force of the collision between his hammer and the Blaster reverberated throughout his aching body.

Yassie hastily whipped out her camera, as she realized she wasn't going to be able to do much else against the Blasters if Luigi's hammer couldn't. "You're not kidding, Luigi, these things are HARD! They've got 5 HP, 'technically' 0 Attack, and a hearty 2 Defense, but like you said, they're gonna keep shooting those Bullet Bills at us until we dismantle 'em! The Bullet Bills themselves only have 1 HP and 0 Defense, but they have an Attack of 3, and I don't think I need to tell you how much getting hit by one of them is gonna hurt! Oh, and don't bother wasting any Fire Flowers against the Blasters, by the way, 'cause they're immune to fire, too! I hope you have plenty of FP left, 'cause the only thing either of us can do to even scratch them is gonna be a Power Smash!"

Nodding in confirmation to Yassie, Luigi began to charge up a Power Smash, but was quickly interrupted by another group of Bullet Bills, and he ended up having to waste the attack on one of them as it zoomed towards him.

"Dang it!" Luigi grumbled, as he began another charge.

"Luigi, let me take care of the Bills, you focus on the Blasters!" Yassie exclaimed, as she hurled an egg at her Bill, then reached into her camera bag for something.

Nodding confidently, Luigi rushed forward and delivered a heavy strike to one of the Blasters before it could get another shot off. Nonetheless, it just barely clung on, giving it and its partner time to fire off another round while Luigi charged once more. Yassie, however, was ready, as she set down a Fire Flower in front of their opponents. While it indeed did absolutely nothing to the Blasters, that wasn't the case for the unfortunate Bills, both of whom blew up harmlessly as the Fire Flower's spores made contact with them.

"Nice thinking!" Luigi said to Yassie with a grin, before rushing forward and delivering a final, definitive strike to the first Blaster, cracking it in half right down the middle and putting it out of commission. With one out of the way, the other Blaster was no problem at all, as Yassie easily took care of the lone Bills, and Luigi was able to charge his last two Power Smashes at his leisure, making sure to finish the second Blaster off with a regular strike so as to conserve the precious little FP that he had. Feeling a little depleted regardless, Luigi made sure to chug down one of his Honey Syrups, which of course didn't taste at all pleasant after being superheated during the volcano trek, and it took Luigi considerable strength not to hurl it all back up.

Once the ordeal was over, Yassie wiped her brow and let out a heavy sigh. "Whew, that was intense..."

"Yeah it was." Luigi said in agreement, once his stomach stopped churning quite so much. "Oh, before we go on though, stay here for a second, I'll be right back."

Before Yassie could do much more than give him a puzzled looked, Luigi backtracked to the blue block from earlier, hitting it once more. Unable to see Yassie, he yelled out to her, "Hey Yassie, has anything appeared all of a sudden down there?"

"Yeah, there's red version of the blue block from earlier floating around now!" Yassie shouted back, before adding, "I'll just go ahead and hit it before you strain your voice anymore to ask me to!"

Smirking, Luigi made his way back to the other end where Yassie was, the ticking having stopped abruptly, signaling Yassie's deed.

"Here Luigi, these popped out of the block when I hit it." Yassie said once Luigi was back in view, walking up to him and handing him a small handful of five blue coins.

"Ooh, Blue Coins?" Luigi said in interest, as he studied the coins briefly before pocketing them. "These things are pretty rare, something tells me we shouldn't spend these like regular coins."

"You're the boss." Yassie said with a nod, though her words carried a tone of urgency to them. "We should get a move on, though."

"Ah, you're right." Luigi said, nodding back, and the two continued on their trek through the caverns. The next room was much more open than the last few rooms had been, though still not as large as the 'lobby' was. It was also rather empty, sans a group of haggard looking enemy Koopas and a single X-Naut. Learning from their earlier encounter, Luigi and Yassie took the X-Naut out first this time before focusing on the Koopas, and they managed to get out of the battle with hardly a scratch, a welcome change to the way most battles seemed to have been playing out so far. Once they had been dealt with, Luigi collected the one item box that was in the room, which actually happened to be an Attack FX R badge, uselessly enough. Luigi put it on regardless, and from then on every time he jumped or swung his hammer, he made a strange fwooshing sound, akin to that of a Podobo jumping out of a pool of lava.

"Well, it couldn't hurt." Luigi said with a shrug, as Yassie looked at him with doubts as to the badge's usefulness. "I mean, who knows, my bro beat a dragon by making his attacks sound like a cricket, maybe the Koopa Brothers or Axem Rangers have an intense phobia of Podobos or something."

Yassie folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Which is why they're in the middle of a volcano. Obviously."

Luigi looked back, stonefaced. "...Let's... Let's just move on."

Without another word, that's what they did. The room once again branched off into two paths, but this time, Luigi knew better than to take the left path, not wanting to look like a fool three times in a row. This took them to a room with a bridge... Or rather, a room that ONCE had a bridge. Now, however, there was merely a pool of lava with its charred remains standing on both sides of it, an entrance at the other side blocked off with a sign in front of it, crude lettering proclaiming that it was for "AWESOME AXEMS ONLY, NO STUPID NINJAS ALLOWED".

"Okay, I think I'm gonna let you start choosing which path to take from now on, Yassie..." Luigi muttered in annoyance as the two made their way back to the last room and through the other passageway. This room, thankfully, only had one other passage, though of much more interest was the grubby, makeshift looking key that sat against the wall... Directly on the other side of a small but still too large to jump over river of lava. The only other point of interest in the room, a lone, particularly unfortunate X-Naut, was very quickly taken care of, leaving Luigi and Yassie to stare longingly at the unreachable key.

"Luigi..." Yassie began, her tone grim. "I'm not trying to be Debbie Downer here, but... That looks an awful lot like the key we have, doesn't it?"

"I was uh, trying not to think about that." Luigi replied, quickly breaking down into a whimper as he knew full well what that key was for.

"Hey, let's not be hasty!" Yassie stated quickly, before Luigi had too much of a chance to blubber. "Maybe... Maybe we can find something to reach it with in the next room!"

Luigi looked at her with heavy doubt, but shook his head and walked into the next room with her, realizing that there might at least be half of a percentage point that she was right.

Safe to say, neither were expecting to see what was actually awaiting them in the next room. As they somewhat expected, what with the key being right outside it in the room next door, it was the other jail cell. What they weren't expecting, however, were the occupants of said jail. Far opposed to the massive number of townsfolk that had been stuffed into the tiny cell in the first jail, this cell contained but two prisoners.

Two very familiar prisoners.

"S-S-Spooky? Kobaltia?!" Luigi stuttered in shock and dread at the sight in front of him.

At the sound of his name, Spooky instantly perked up to attention, rushing over and through the bars instantly to greet his master.

"Spooky, how in the world did you two-?!" Luigi began, gently rebuffing Spooky's overexcited licks as he and Yassie's gazes focused squarely on Kobaltia. As the two rushed up to the bars, Spooky phased back through them and nudged back up to Kobaltia, whimpering and giving her a few wake up licks, which thankfully seemed to stir her, at least a little bit.

"...Oh, no..." Kobaltia murmured in distress, reshutting her eyes as she caught sight of her 'visitors'.

"Kobaltia, are you alright?" Yassie asked, eying the battered looking Koopa with great concern.

"Do I _look_ alright to you?" Kobaltia said defensively, as she glared bitterly back at Yassie.

"Kobaltia, we tried to tell you-" Luigi began, quickly being cut off by a vitriolic Kobaltia.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." she spat. "Go ahead and laugh at me, tell me you told me so, you're right and I'm wrong, just like I always am... I can't do anything right... Even when I'm told point blank to my face, I can't... I can't just listen and accept it..." Kobaltia's anger was fast turning into tears, and Luigi and Yassie looked at each other with absolute pity for the poor girl. Though Spooky tried valiantly to cheer her up, she seemed remarkably immune to his charms, likely from being used to it with Chompers.

"Kobaltia, we're not here to make fun of you or gloat or anything like that." Yassie stated softly, trying to maintain eye contact with her. "We just want to help, honest. That's all we've been trying to do this whole time. Now please, stop acting like you have something to prove and let us help you."

"..." Kobaltia looked back at Yassie and Luigi, studying both of them for a long minute.

"We're sorry we had to fool with you before, but honest to the stars, we're here to help you and everyone else from Nimbihurst." Luigi added, hoping he and Yassie had managed to get through to her.

"...I... I'm sorry..." Kobaltia finally whimpered.

She didn't bother to contain her emotions any further.

Gone was the brash, boisterous Blue.

All that was left was a scared, vulnerable, broken girl.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen... I just... I wanted to be a hero... I wanted to make a difference... Nimbihurst has always been so... Boring... When the Koopa Brothers arrived, everything got so... Exciting... I thought this was my way out of my boring little village... My boring, lifeless life... My chance to... Live my dream... But I should've... I should've listened to Grampa... I should've listened to you guys... All I ever do is screw things up and make a mess of things... Ever since I was little..."

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic." Yassie said, waving her hand in dismissal. "Everyone makes mistakes, Kobaltia. The thing that separates the strong from the weak is how you learn from them. Sure, you could just wallow in self pity, say 'Woe is me', and let it get to you and bring you down with it... Or you could face it head on, own up to it, and let the resolve of never doing it again make you stronger. It doesn't matter how big you think it was, or how awful it may seem to you, there's always a way to come back from it, Kobaltia."

"Shoot, she's right, you know." Luigi stated, letting out a chuckle. "If I were to let all the mistakes I make on a daily basis get to me, I don't think I'd be much of a person, let alone a hero. Contrary to what you might think, heroes aren't perfect Kobaltia, we mess up just like everyone else, some of us more than others, ehehehe... But like Yassie said, you can't let what you've done in the past weigh you down, you have to keep moving on and looking towards the future. That's the mettle of a hero, Kobaltia, whether you may think so or not."

Kobaltia looked back at the two, her eyes wide and wet as she sniffled softly. "...Ah... That... That was so... So cheesy..."

Luigi and Yassie pratfalled in unison, their words seemingly falling on deaf ears.

"...Th-That means you guys really ARE heroes...!" Kobaltia exclaimed, suddenly seeming to get her spirit back, if only a little. "B-But you're right! I know it, you HAVE to be! Anything as inspirational sounding as that HAS to be right, right?"

"Er, r-right..." Luigi said back, scratching his head in confusion as he and Yassie exchanged wary glances at one another.

"Gosh, how could I be so stupid?" Kobaltia said to herself, as she picked herself up off the ground and struck a heroic pose. "My mistakes can only make me stronger, that's just what Grampa used to tell me all the time when I was little and, er, 'accident prone'... I can't believe I forgot... Or maybe I just wasn't listening to it, like everything else he says... But no more! From this day forward, my head is henceforce out of the clouds, I've seen the light, and it is oh so righteous, yes indeed!"

"I... Uh, that's great, Kobaltia..." Yassie began, struggling to find space to speak now that Kobaltia was back to 'normal'. "Not to rain on your parade or anything, but you're still kind of stuck in a cage..."

Kobaltia blinked, her mantra of heroic justice screeching to a halt. "Huh? ...Oh shoot, I... I forgot about that..."

"How the heck did you and Spooky get in there, anyways?" Luigi asked, shaking his head. "We had Spooky chase after you so we could follow his trail, but it ended at that locked metal door back in the lobby. I mean, I'm glad you guys are okay and all, but there's no way you should've been able to get to this room before us without us noticing or anything..."

"Oh, that..." Kobaltia muttered. "Well, after I, ahem, confronted those jerks, it went about as well as you'd expect. Your doggy tried to help me, but he couldn't really do much, and they managed to knock me out but good. As far as I can tell, they used one of their secret passageways to get me here from their room, but I'm pretty sure they blocked it off so I couldn't get back through it."

"I see." Luigi said, frowning. "Well, at least we don't have to be in such a huge rush anymore."

"Huh?" Kobaltia spoke, looking puzzled for a moment before letting out one of her gasps. "Oh gosh, I... I didn't make you guys worry, did I?"

"Yeah, but you're fine now, and that's all that matters." Yassie exclaimed decisively before Kobaltia could get worked up about it. "Anyways, lets get you out of there so you can get home to your grandpa. He's still worried sick about you, after all."

"Oh..." Kobaltia said, her tone faltering a bit as her eyes drooped downwards. "...Um..."

"Kobaltia..." Yassie said firmly, folding her arms at the Koopa.

"Gosh, you guys..." Kobaltia began, looking back up at the two and walking over to them to look them both in the eye. "I... I know Grampa's worried about me... Especially after what I said to him the last time I saw him... But he's also probably really, REALLY mad at me, too!"

"I'm sure any anger he has is going to be outweighed by his joy at seeing you safe and sound, Kobaltia." Luigi stated.

"But, you guys, you don't understand!" Kobaltia pleaded. "I might not ever be able to leave my room ever again for the rest of my life if I go back now! I have to do something to make it up to him! I have to... I have to..."

"Oh, no..." Yassie said in anticipation to what she knew was about to come out of the Koopa's mouth. "No way, no how! If you thought you were in over your head with the Koopa Brothers, you have no IDEA how bad it'd be with us!"

"W-Wait, I didn't even get to ask yet!" Kobaltia pouted. "Come on, _PLEEEEEEEEASE_? You've seen how good I am in a fight, I almost kicked both of your guys' butts on my own, remember?"

"Yeah, uh, that was only through blatant trickery, and on your home turf, at that." Yassie responded instantly. "Something tells me you wouldn't be able to do that again."

"Oh, come ON!" Kobaltia whined, turning her attention solely to Luigi. "You guys are going to go and stick it to the Koopa Brothers, right? Well you won't even stand a CHANCE against them without me!"

"I seem to recall my brother handling them pretty easily..." Luigi stated, not particularly convinced. "In fact, he made it a point to tell me just how much of a joke they were, now that I'm thinking about it."

"Yeah, well, that was before!" Kobaltia said stubbornly, refusing to give up. "They're a lot tougher now, thanks to Sliver's training or whatever! But I know all their secrets! I mean, of course I couldn't take them all on myself, especially not in the state I was in, but with our powers combined, they wouldn't stand a chance!"

"I dunno..." Luigi said, still skeptical. "I don't think your grandpa would be too keen on the idea."

"Oh please, do you even realize how much he gushed on and on about you guys when I went back to make sure he and Chompers hadn't been blown to smithereens thanks to your, ahem, 'bomb'?" Kobaltia exclaimed. "If anything, he'd be thrilled to know I finally have some REAL heroes to look up to and train under! And also, that might counterbalance the whole 'grounded for eternity' thing down to just 'grounded for life', or possibly even less!"

Yassie let out an exasperated sigh and turned to Luigi. "Oh, geez... Well, it's your call, Luigi. If you really think she'd be more of a help than a hindrance to us..."

"The answer to that is yes, by the way!" Kobaltia chimed in before Luigi could utter a word.

Luigi gave Kobaltia a long, hard look. The Koopa, to her credit, didn't back down an inch, standing resolutely and confidently in front of the plumber. Finally, Luigi let out a sigh of his own and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if you're REALLY sure about this, Kobaltia, then okay, you can come with u-"

'OH YEAH!" Kobaltia bellowed, leaping high in the air in absolute bliss to such a degree that she startled Spooky. "Gonna be a _real_ hero, heck yes!"

"You do realize we aren't just here to stop the Koopa Brothers and Axem Rangers, right?" Yassie asked, raising her eyebrow in concern at Kobaltia. "We're kind of on a journey to save the entire universe, so you might not be able to come back home for a while."

"Oh wow, even better!" Kobaltia exclaimed in excitement. "That'll DEFINITELY get me some brownie points with Grampa, if I help save the whole world, I might only be punished for a year, if even that!"

Luigi and Yassie looked at one another, but all either of them could do was shrug in exasperation and sigh. Taking the key out of his pocket, Luigi walked over to the cells door and stuck it in, opening the door with a loud creak and allowing Kobaltia and Spooky to join the party properly.

"Yeah, villains beware, for no one will be able to stop the combined might of our supreme justicular squad of justicey justice!" Kobaltia shouted in triumph, Spooky hopping up and down and barking in excitement alongside her, as Luigi and Yassie could do little more than merely shake their heads and chuckle.

_KOBALTIA JOINED THE PARTY!_

_Kobaltia is a loud, dramatic, and ever-so-slightly justice obsessed Koopa girl. What she may lack in common sense she more than makes up for in sheer enthusiasm and stubbornness, and once she has her mind set on something, good luck getting her to change it. While on the field, she can assist Luigi and his party with her ancient ninja 'Foot of the Starman' technique, allowing Luigi and company to travel a short distance over any form of liquid or even spikes, no matter how vile or dangerous it may be. In battle, she can use her Koopa Leaf shurikens to attack any enemy on the field regardless of their position, and_ _she can also use her powerful Slide Kick technique to slip past an enemy's guard and pierce their defense!_

"So hey, let me show you guys what I'm capable of!" Kobaltia said in excitement, as she rushed out of the room in a hurry. The others followed after her, stopping beside her as she looked over at the unreachable key on the other side of the lava. "You see that key? That dumb guard they had posted at my cell threw it over there and ran off once he caught sight of Spooky, the disgusting, nose-picking coward."

"I didn't know those X-Naut things even HAD noses..." Yassie whispered to Luigi.

"I'll bet you both thought it completely out of reach, did you not?" Kobaltia exclaimed with a wide grin, before shaking her head and finger at them in a 'tut-tut' motion. "But alas, nothing is out of reach for a skilled Ninja Koopa such as myself!"

"Oh, cool, that's right, you can just shoot your shell over there and yoink that, can't you?" Luigi said.

Kobaltia merely flapped her lips together in indignation at Luigi's assertion. "Pfft, as if! Sure, maybe if I were an ordinary, average, plebeian Koopa, I could do that, but I have a much better way of reaching it. Behold!"

Once she was sure everyone was watching her, Kobaltia went into a short meditative trance of sorts, moving her hands to and fro frantically, before her eyes suddenly shot back open and she, against all common sense, took a step into the lava. Or rather, onto the lava. Luigi and Yassie both gasped in shock, both of them looking away on instinct until they realized that they heard no horrifying screams of pain. Looking back, they were astounded to see Kobaltia run atop the lava as if it were nothing, grab the key, then run back across the lava in one fell swoop, looking none the worse for wear afterwards, either, as she triumphantly marched over to Luigi and dropped the key into his hand.

"Well, what'd you guys think of _that_?" Kobaltia asked, smirking. "Bet you won't find anyone else that knows how to perform the ancient 'Foot of the Starman' technique on your little journey!"

Luigi and Yassie were momentarily speechless, as they looked at one another in shock.

"...H-How... How in the world did you learn to do that...?" Luigi asked in utter amazement once he had regained his voice.

"The internet." Kobaltia stated simply. "All those secret ninja training lesson videos on ShroomTube have really been paying off, you guys oughta look into it yourselves some time!"

Luigi blinked. "...O-Okay. Um, well, anyways, I think we've spent enough time yammering about here, we may not be in a huge hurry anymore, be we still shouldn't dawdle."

"Ah, of course!" Kobaltia said, nodding intently. "Lead the way, o capitan! I will follow you to the ends of the world, such are the lengths of my devotion to the righteous justiceness of your cause!"

"Er, super..." Luigi stuttered, sharing a sideways glance with Yassie that stated clearly their thoughts on their new traveling companion.

_"How did we think this was a good idea?"_


End file.
